Former Kerala chief minister VS Achuthanandan will contest the upcomimg Assembly elections.
Thiruvananthapuram:
The opposition CPM is yet to announce its final list of candidates for the May elections in Kerala, but the Malampuzha assembly constituency is already prepped for a VS Achuthanandan victory.
There is high expectation here that the Left leader will win a record fourth successive term in the Kerala assembly from this seat. Kerala votes on May 16 to elect 140 members to the state assembly.
Mr Achuthanandan, 93, could be Kerala's chief minister if the Left Democratic Front led by the CPM or Communist Party of India-Marxist wins. He has held the post of Chief Minister once before, and has a huge mass following.
To a Congress leader's suggestion that the veteran should opt out of electoral politics to give younger people a chance, Mr Achuthanandan retorted on Tuesday, "I am contesting the polls as per the decision of my party and there is no need for the Congress to worry about it."
He also alleged that the Congress leader VM Sudheeran actually wants Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to retire. "This is the 11th time Oommen Chandy is going to contest the polls. Real intention of Sudheeran is that Chandy, who has been a legislator for 46 years, and served as Opposition leader and Chief Minister, should not contest," the Left leader said.
Mr Chandy is considerably younger than Mr Achuthanandan at 72.
Unmindful of the political sparring, CPM workers have already begun their work in Malampuzha, painting walls that announce the candidature of Mr Achuthanandan, who will arrive in the constituency on Saturday for the first time since election dates were announced.
It was in 2001 that Mr Achuthanandan began to treat Malampuzha as a second home after suffering a shock defeat in the 1996 elections in his home turf in Mararikulam, Alappuzha district. Since then he has contested from Malampuzha, increasing his margin of victory with every election.
This is the eighth assembly election Mr Achuthanandan will contest. He first contested 49 years ago in 1967 from Ambalapuzha.
There is high expectation here that the Left leader will win a record fourth successive term in the Kerala assembly from this seat. Kerala votes on May 16 to elect 140 members to the state assembly.
Mr Achuthanandan, 93, could be Kerala's chief minister if the Left Democratic Front led by the CPM or Communist Party of India-Marxist wins. He has held the post of Chief Minister once before, and has a huge mass following.
To a Congress leader's suggestion that the veteran should opt out of electoral politics to give younger people a chance, Mr Achuthanandan retorted on Tuesday, "I am contesting the polls as per the decision of my party and there is no need for the Congress to worry about it."
He also alleged that the Congress leader VM Sudheeran actually wants Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to retire. "This is the 11th time Oommen Chandy is going to contest the polls. Real intention of Sudheeran is that Chandy, who has been a legislator for 46 years, and served as Opposition leader and Chief Minister, should not contest," the Left leader said.
Mr Chandy is considerably younger than Mr Achuthanandan at 72.
Unmindful of the political sparring, CPM workers have already begun their work in Malampuzha, painting walls that announce the candidature of Mr Achuthanandan, who will arrive in the constituency on Saturday for the first time since election dates were announced.
It was in 2001 that Mr Achuthanandan began to treat Malampuzha as a second home after suffering a shock defeat in the 1996 elections in his home turf in Mararikulam, Alappuzha district. Since then he has contested from Malampuzha, increasing his margin of victory with every election.
This is the eighth assembly election Mr Achuthanandan will contest. He first contested 49 years ago in 1967 from Ambalapuzha.
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