By IANS,
New Delhi : Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) chief Prakash Karat Friday said he had no role to play in the nomination of Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan for the April 13 assembly polls.
“The state committee (of Kerala) decided the nominations, we did not come in the picture till the last stage. When the politburo finalised the list, they decided that Achuthanandan should also contest,” Karat told reporters here.
Asked about Achuthanandan’s nomination despite disciplinary action having been taken against him twice, Karat said it does not come in his way of being an elected leader.
“Achuthanandan is a member of the central committee, the senior-most member in Kerala, he has proved his record. We might have taken steps against him but that does not come in the way of his being an elected leader,” he said.
Achuthanandan’s name was excluded from the list of candidates initially released by CPI-M’s Kerala state wing, but was later included after the party politburo’s intervention.