Politburo clears VS as Kerala CM

NEW DELHI: The CPI(M) politburo on Saturday cleared the candidature of VS Achuthanandan as chief minister of Kerala. 

While there was no confusion over Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee retaining chief ministership in West Bengal, in the case of Kerala, the rival faction, controlled by state secretary Pinayari Vijyan, was not reconciled to the move to anoint Achuthanandan.
 
Both Vijayan and Achuthanandan attended the Politburo meeting and with flashing smiles left the AKG Bhavan in the same car. The seeming amity was, however, marred by a sour note as CPI(M) daily newspaper, Deshabhimani, on Friday virtually blacked out the  83-year-old hardliner.
 
The CPM is still grappling to find a cordial settlement between the two factions. There are talks of a deputy chief minister belonging to Vijayan camp, acting as a rotational chief minister and giving key ministries such as home and finance to the Vijayan camp. 

Politburo chief Prakash Karat said the details of the composition of the new government would be worked out at the state committee meeting beginning on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram.