Achuthanandan adamant: Not to come back to party conference

The nonagenarian former chief minister of Kerala, who has been fighting a running battle with the party's Kerala state committee secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and appears to be drifting away from the CPI(M)'s top echelon that so far has failed to stop the factional feud,boycotted the three-day conference after walking out of it on the opening day on Saturday.

He walked out in presence of CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat after supporters of Vijayan started unleashing on him a barrage of accusations for his 'anti party role.'

Criticising  Achuthanandan's action, the party's politburo directed him on Sunday to attend the concluding session.

But VS-as he is commonly called within the party- made clear his intention of staying away from the conference.

"A party state secretariat resolution terming me as an anti-party activist still remains. In the present circumstances, I kept away from the meeting as I am convinced that it is not proper for me to participate in the meet," Achuthanandan said in a statement on Monday.

"Due to the above reasons, I am not able to attend the concluding session of the meet today and I also have informed my position to party general secretary," he said.

Achuthanandan wanted the party to take action against some members, who were facing charges in the murder of dissident CPI(M) leader T P Chandrasekharan.

The factional feud within the party's Kerala unit went to a new height when on the opening day of the state conference Achuthanandan's dissenting note against  the 'flawed conduct' of a section of party leaders belonging to the Vijayan camp got published in a section of the media.

In an immediate backlash, the state secretariat condemned Vijayan for his 'anti party activities.'