VS-party differences a closed chapter: CPI-M

Thiruvananthapuram: Indicating that the differences between party veteran V S Achuthanandan and CPI(M) has come to an end, party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan Wednesday said "that chapter is over" and a new one has begun.

The party state committee and secretariat who met yesterday ratified the party Central Committee (CC) decisions, Balakrishnan told reporters here.

All party members would accept the decision of the CPI(M) Central Committee to include the former Chief Minister as special invitee to state committee, he said.

"Achuthanandan is a top leader of the party and one who was in the politics since the days of independence. Party CC considered all these aspects and included him as a special invitee to Central Committee also," Balakrishnan said.

Achuthanadan can express his views in the state committee, he said.

The essence of part of the CC's decision was the chapter related to Achuthanandan's past activities in the party. That chapter was "closed". A new chapter has begun to strengthen the party, he said.

The party's CC, which met here on January 8, had warned 93-year-old Achuthanandan for "violating" party norms and asked him to abide by its organisational norms and discipline.

Achuthanandan walked out of the CPI-M state conference held at Alappuzha in February, 2015 causing much embarrassment to the party.

He was at loggerheads with state party leadership at that time headed by present Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

However, setting aside the differences, the nonagenarian was the main campaigner of the LDF for the last year's Assembly polls, that saw LDF return to power.

Though there were demands from different quarters to make Achuthanandan the Chief Minister, he was sidelined by the party which choose his bete noire Vijayan to head the government, considering the party veteran's old-age.