Achuthanandan dropped from CPI-M's Kerala state secretariat

 Veteran CPI-M leader and former Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan was on Saturday dropped from the party's 15-member state secretariat, it was announced here.

The announcement came days after the 91-year-old Achuthanandan was dropped from the Communist Party of India-Marxist's central committee.

Besides Achuthanandan, former minister P.K. Gurdasan and Left Democratic Front convenor Vaikom Viswan were dropped form the secretariat.

They were replaced by M.M. Mani, K.J. Thomas and T.P. Ramakrishnan.

"The new secretariat list was approved by the state committee members by raising their hands," politburo member M.A. Baby told IANS.

Sources in the CPI-M said newly elected party general secretary Sitaram Yechury informed the state committee that all issues concerning Achuthanandan would be decided by the central committee. - IANS