V. S. Achuthanandan

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**V.S. Achuthanandan**
Image:Achuthanandan.jpg
Born	October 20, 1923 Alappuzha, Kerala
Office	Chief Minister of Kerala
Constituency	Malampuzha
Predecessor	Oommen Chandy
Successor	Incumbent
Political party	Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Religion	None
Spouse	K. Vasumathy
Children	1 son and 1 daughter
Website: http://www.keralacm.gov.in
As of May 18, 2006 Source: Government of Kerala

Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan, (Malayalam:വേലിക്കകത്ത് ശങ്കരന്‍ അച്യുതാനന്ദന്‍) (20 October, 1923 – ) is the twentieth Chief Minister of Kerala state, India. He has been a Politburo member of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) since 1985 and is popularly known as "Comrade VS".

1 Early life
2 Political Life
3 External links

[edit] Early life

Born on 20 October 1923 to Sankaran and Accamma in Alappuzha district of Kerala state, Achuthanandan had to face poverty from a very early age. He belongs to the famous Ezhava caste who are traditionally toddy (a coconut alcoholic beverage) tappers. He lost his mother when he was just four years old and father at 11 years. This forced him to give up his studies after finishing 7th standard in school . He started working by helping his elder brother in a tiny village cloth shop. Later he took up the job of meshing coir to make ropes at a coir factory.

[edit] Political Life

He entered into the world of politics through Trade Union activities and joined State Congress in 1938. Like many young men of his age, he became disillusioned with the policies of the Congress and became a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1940. He was imprisoned for five years and six months during Freedom Struggle period and has gone under-ground for four and half years in his decades old political career. He is the only one living keralite among the 32 members who left the CPI National Council in 1964 to form the CPI(M). He is the senior most leader of CPI(M) in kerala. He was a state secretariate member of the CPI in 1957. Amongst all political leaders the state has seen so far and the contemporaries, VS is the most liked one.

Achuthanandan has the public image of a honest politician and has generally stayed clear of controversy. However, the anti-reclamation stir launched by the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union (KSKTU) at Mancombu in 1996-97, inaugurated by Achuthanandan, earned the sobriquet`vettinirathal samaram' following the violent methods and crop destruction resorted to by the KSKTU cadre. The stir generated lot of public criticism and Mr. Achuthanandan expressed his disapproval of any further destruction of crops.The recent decision of his government to ban coca-cola and pepsi in Kerala has proved controversial, even though the measure had tremendous public support. The Indian Soft Drinks Manufacturers’ Association claimed that its products manufactured in India met every safety standard set by food, health and regulatory bodies in India and abroad.The Indian government later stated that the findings of an NGO that the soft drink samples taken from the two companies contained higher than permissible limits of pesticide, were erroneous and inconclusive. This finding and his own understanding of the pollution that such industries cause on the local livelihood and environment had led to the ban. He has also stated in public that such polluting industries will not be allowed to function in the state. Achuthanandan government's decision to log Microsoft out of Kerala schoolsproved controversial with critics stating that its not proper to introduce politics in technology.

[edit] Punnapra-Vayalar Uprising

He was very active in the famous Punnapra-Vayalar uprising and led the farmers to root out evils faced by them.

[edit] Leadership

Achuthanandan had served many positions in his long political career. He was the Kerala State Secretary of the CPI(M) between 1980 and 1992 and he became the member of the Politburo since 1985. He was also active in parliamentary politics as he became the member of Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1970, 1991, 2001 and 2006. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 1992 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2006.

He gained a huge popular support during his stint as the opposition leader in 2001-2006 Legislative Assembly. He took active personal interests in making visits to even the remotest of places, discussing with rape victims, or to sites of industrial pollution where ever he believed that the ruling government was not doing things in a right fashion, or done in an outright dishonest way.

[edit] Assembly Elections, 2006

During the assembly elections held in Kerala in April-May 2006, VS Achuthanandan defeated Satheesan Pacheeni of the United Democratic Front by a large margin of 20,017 votes in Malampuzha constituency in Palghat district. It has been said that with this win VS successfully countered the accusation that when the party wins VS loses, and if VS wins the party loses.

It should be noted that when the prospective candidate list for CPI(M) was published (for the elections of 2006), the name of Achuthanandan was conspiciously absent. This created an uproar across the state, and processions and protests were held in support of Achuthanandan. The Polit Bureau finally succumbed to the pressure, and decided to field VS from Malampuzha.

[edit] Chief Minister

After the Assembly Elections in 2006, CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) gained an absolute majority in the house. The State Committee and Polit Bureau of CPI(M) unanimously decided to make Achuthanandan the Chief Minister of Kerala. He took oath of office on 18th May, 2006 as the twentieth Chief Minister of Kerala.