Achuthanandan not to campaign in West Bengal

CPI(M) stalwart and Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan, the star campaigner for LDF in the April 13 Assembly polls, on Wednesday said he would not campaign for Left Front candidates in West Bengal.

CPI(M) stalwart and Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan, the star campaigner for LDF in the April 13 Assembly polls, on Wednesday said he would not campaign for Left Front candidates in West Bengal.

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"I am not going" was the reply of 87-year-old Achuthanandan when asked by reporters at his Cabinet briefing whether he would leave for West Bengal to campaign.

Media reports had indicated that Achuthanandan would campaign for Left Front candidates in West Bengal.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala would get a comfortable majority in the Assembly polls.

To a question on whether he would be Chief Minister again if LDF won the polls, he said "the issue will be decided later."

Achuthanandan also termed as baseless the charge of Opposition leader Oommen Chandy that he had forwarded the petition on allegations against his son AV Arun Kumar to the Lok Ayukta with an intention to scuttle the probe.

"The Charges were baseless and you (media) don't believe the words of the Opposition leader," he said.