Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader and Marxist stalwart V.S Achuthanandan abstained from the first meeting of the newly elected state committee of the CPI (M) that began here at the AKG centre on Monday.
Sources say Achuthanandan stayed away from the meet as the party’s Politburo did not take any decision on his demand on the issues he had raised.
Though he was not included in the 87-member State committee, the CPI(M) state leadership had invited him to attend today’s meet.
Significantly, Achuthanandan had been a member of the CPI(M) state committee since it was formed in 1964 and this is the first time the veteran leader is staying away from the meet.
It was a week earlier that he walked out of the CPI(M)’s 21st state conference after a resolution condemning his constant breach of party discipline was read out.
Breaking his silence after the boycott, a sulking Achuthanandan had issued a statement justifying his decision as he defied Politburo directive to attend the state conference.
“Since the resolution terming him as an "anti-party activist" still remained, it was improper for him to attend the meet,” he said.
"A party state secretariat resolution terming me as an anti-party activist still remains. In the present circumstances, I kept away from the meeting as I am convinced that it is not proper for me to participate," he said.