CPI-M revokes suspension of Achuthanandan, Vijayan

CPI-M central committee on Monday revokes the suspension of Kerala CM VS Achuthanandan and state unit secretary Pinarayi Vijayan from the politburo.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) central committee on Monday revoked the suspension of Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and state unit secretary Pinarayi Vijayan from the politburo, bringing relief to the party cadres in the southern state.

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"Four months back two members of the politburo were suspended. The central committee in this meeting accepted the politburo's suggestion that the suspension should be revoked," CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat told a press conference here at the end of the party's four-day meet, including a three-day central committee meeting.

Sending a strong signal that it will not tolerate factionalism, the CPI-M politburo had suspended Achuthanandan and Vijayan from the highest policy-making body in May following their repeated criticism of each other in public.

M Vijayakumar, Kerala law minister and senior CPI-M leader, told IANS in the Kerala capital: "Though it was an internal party affair, the revocation (of suspension) is certainly going to strengthen the party. The message of suspension was that the party will be tough. Today's decision by the politburo is certainly going to bring a lot of cheer to the party."

Political observers had expected the suspension to be revoked soon.

The primary reason for revocation is the organisational elections within the party in February next year. Ahead of that, the party has already launched the grassroots-level meetings across Kerala.

Moreover, party insiders say the suspension would have provided ammunition to the opposition, Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), in case of snap general elections.