The Kerala CPI(M) leadership, rattled by street protests and the groundswell of cadre support for chief minister V.S, Achuthanandan, has nominated him to lead the Left Democratic Front in the Assembly elections.
In a dramatic throwback to 2006, when the party politburo denied Mr Achuthan-andan a ticket and reversed the decision following street rallies, the party state unit on Friday went one step further and declared him the “undisputed” leader.
Till a few hours before the announcement Friday morning, Mr Achutha-nandan was officially “sick” and therefore kept out of the poll fray. But the “shock and awe” strategy being planned by the VS camp and the outrage generated by the denial of a seat made it clear to state leaders that his absence would be electorally counterproductive.