Friday, March 24 2006 15:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI-M state secretariat and state committee were meeting here today (Mar 24 2006) to discuss problems in the state unit and finalise the candidates' list for the assembly elections.

The meetings assume significance in view of recent flare-up in inner-party feuds after the faction led by Pinarayi Viajayan pushed its decision to keep senior leader V S Achuthanandan off the electoral fray.

Party general secretary Prakash Karat and PB members Sitaram Yechuri and S Ramachandran Pillai are attending the meetings since working out a truce between the rival factions is essential for the party to hit the campaign trail unitedly, party sources said.

Though the party is unlikely to re-consider Achuthanandan's candidature some of his demands in candidates' selection are expected to be accommodated, sources said.

Denial of candidature to Achuthanandan, who has been heading the party's legislature wing for the last five years, had sparked street protests in the state last week.

Vijayan had dubbed reports of such protests as media hype and held that those who took to the streets had nothing to do with the party.

After the PB meeting on Tuesday, Achuthanandan himself came out with a statement that the party was not divided into opposing camps.