VS’s former aide switches to UDF fold

Palakkad: In a politically significant move, former chief minister V S Achuthanandan's personal assistant A Suresh joined the concluding rally of UDF's Puthu Yuga Yatra in Palakkad district on Tuesday.Opposition leader V D Satheesan welcomed Suresh by draping a shawl on him, marking his induction into the alliance.Addressing the gathering, Suresh launched a sharp critique of the Left, asserting that "the Left is no longer Left". It is UDF that now upholds genuine Leftist values in Kerala's political landscape, he said.Suresh said that thousands of people across the state were reflecting on whether the present government deserved to continue in office. According to him, the communist party today consisted of those who love the party and those who love power, while thousands of committed party supporters remained deeply dissatisfied with LDF govt.What was meted out to Achuthanandan amounted to "capital punishment" within the party, he alleged. "The same capital punishment has now been given to me," he said, suggesting political sidelining and isolation within CPM.