Kerala CM Achutanandan removed from CPM Polit Bureau

CPI(M) central committee on Sunday removed Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan from the Politburo, in a decision aimed at resolving the crisis in party’s Kerala unit. Achuthanandan, however, will continue as the Kerala CM while Pinarayi Vijayan, with whom the former has been at loggerheads over the latter’s alleged involvement in the multi-crore SNC Lavalin scam, will continue as the party state secretary. The recommendations to remove Achuthanandan were placed before the central committee yesterday evening when it met to douse factional fire in its Kerala unit.

Achuthanandan said that the Lavlin scam had hurt the party’s image. Vijayan on the other hand called for action against the CM, saying the leader’s statement were hurting party members. While the CM sought removal of Vijayan from the post of state secretary, Vijayan wanted the exit of Achuthanandan from the CM’s post for violating party discipline.