Veteran Communist, former Kerala CM Achuthanadan all set to hit his century

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 19 (IANS) Last of the living legends of the Left, V.S. Achuthanandan, who was one of the 34 Communist Party of India members who walked out of the party in 1964 to form the CPI-M, will turn 100 on Friday.

Achuthanandan, popularly known as VS to all, has, for the past four years, slipped out of public glare and is living quietly at the house of his son here in the state capital.

Chief Minister from 2006-11, he was the Leader of Opposition in the previous five years.

Though it was he who led the CPI-M led Left at the 2016 Assembly polls, Pinarayi Vijayan stepped in to take over as the Chief Minister much against the wishes of Achuthanandan and those supporting him.

While Vijayan was sworn in, Achuthanandan was given the chairmanship of the Administrative Reforms Commission – a cabinet-level post which he held till age caught up with him. He stepped down during the fag end of the first Vijayan government and after that he has practically been indoors.