Thiruvananthapuram: Pinarayi Vijayan, politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), on Friday brushed aside questions on who would lead the party ahead of the state polls.
With 92-year-old V.S. Achuthanandan on one side and Vijayan, 71, on the other, the CPI-M is caught between two leaders who have been on a war path for the past one decade.
At a press meeting to announce the fourth edition of the International Congress on Kerala Studies, Vijayan laid down a route map on the issues that would be discussed at the event beginning January 9.
The first Congress was held in 1994 and then in 2005 and 2011.
But when asked about who would lead the party, Vijayan said: "We have capable leaders from 25 to 90 years old and above."
And when pressed further, he said the leadership issue would be sorted out at an appropriate time.
Top experts would take part in the two-day meeting and to discuss issues such as state finances, agriculture, industry, IT , infrastructure development, and transgender issues, among others.
Former state finance minister Thomas Issac has said the revenue deficit is reaching an all-time high and that revenue collections needs to be increased by 20 percent to pump up the state economy.