CPI(M) decides on V S Achutanandan, Surjya Kanta Mishra likely to be Opposition Leaders in Kerala and West Bengal

NEW DELHI: CPI(M) today zeroed in on V S Achutanandan and Surjya Kanta Mishra as Leaders of Opposition in Kerala and West Bengal respectively at a meeting of its Politburo.

Sources said a formal announcement will be made after discussions at state committees of Bengal and Kerala.

The top leadership is in favour of making Achutanandan and Mishra as the Leaders of Opposition and this will be conveyed to the state leadership, who will take a final call on the issue, they said.

The sources also said the party Central Committee will meet here for three days from June ten to analyse the results.

Earlier in the day, CPI(M) ruled out any change in leadership following the poll debacle in West Bengal and Kerala. The party also dubbed as rumours outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's offer to opt out of the Politburo.

However, Bhattacharjee did not attend today's Politburo meeting which analysed the poll results.

CPI(M) Politburo member M K Pandhe said the politburo will have a preliminary discussion on the poll results and the Central Committee will analyse in detail the reasons for the loss in elections.

Asked whether one can expect a leadership change following the poll setback, Pandhe said, "I don't think there is any change in leadership."

He told reporters that reports about Bhattacharjee opting out were not right. "We have not been informed about anything. It is wrong," Pandhe said.

West Bengal CPI(M) Secretary Biman Bose termed as "rumours" reports on Bhattacharjee opting out of Polit Bureau taking responsibility for the drubbing in Bengal polls.

"These are all rumours. It is concocted and manufactured," Bose said.