Striking an aggressive note, the senior Congress leader and Union defence minister, Mr A.K. Antony, said on Thursday that the Chief Minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, was still talking like an opposition leader and not like someone who led a government for five years. “He was opposition leader in the party and opposition leader in the government.”
Mr Antony said the Chief Minister and the CPI(M) official faction had only reached a temporary truce for the sake of the elections. “Troubles will start again after the polls,” he said. “It is the CPI(M) which demoted him from the politburo. Now they are saying he is their sole leader. This is a miracle of the times.’
Mr Antony said after the ‘washout’ in the coming polls, the Left parties will “open their eyes” and become realistic. “I don’t think the Left will become irrelevant in India. But they will have to change their ways.”