97-year-old CPM leader VS Achuthanandan likely to step down as chief of Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission

Veteran CPM leader V S Achuthanandan, one of the most popular political leaders of Kerala, seems to be retiring from politics over poor health.

97-year-old Achuthanandan has been serving as the Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission's chairperson since 2016 and is also an MLA from Malampuzha in Palakkad district.

On Saturday, he vacated his official residence in Thiruvananthapuram city and shifted to his son's house in the city. There were also reports that he will soon resign from the administrative reforms commission post.

Sources close to Achuthanandan said that owing to his worsening health due to age-related ailments, he was not being able to discharge his official duties effectively over the last several months.

Achuthanandan, who used to make critical remarks even against his own party over major issues, was silent over the ongoing row surrounding the alleged nexus between the gold smuggling case accused and the Chief Minister's office and many CPM leaders. He was supposedly silent owing to his weak health.

Achuthanandan, who served as Kerala chief minister from 2006 to 2011, was ridiculed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who had targeted his old age during the elections. The former had countered it by calling Rahul 'Amul Baby'.

After the CPM-led Left Front won the election in 2011, though there were alleged attempts from within the party to sideline Achuthanandan from becoming the chief minister, the party witnessed strong resistance from the grass-root level in favour of Achuthanandan.