JDU not to withdraw candidate against VS

New Delhi: Janata Dal (United) Sunday revoked earlier decision to withdraw its candidate against state Chief Minister and CPM veteran V.S. Achuthanandan at Malampuzha.

JD(U), a part of the National Democratic Front at the Centre, decided not to go ahead with its plan after senior leader Sharad Yadav held discussions on the issue with senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.

Earlier, Yadav had announced that his party has taken the stand that it was not appropriate to put up a candidate against Achuthanandan and was withdrawing the candidate.

The BJP, which used to field a candidate from Malapuzha, had decided not to contest from the constituency this time and gave the seat to JD(U).

Malampuzha is known as a CPM bastion and the leaders who have represented the segment in the assembly include former Chief Minister E K Nayanar in 1980 and 1982.

Achuthanandan found a safer seat in Malampuzha in 2001 after his 1996 defeat in his home ground Mararikkulam in Alappuzha due to the machinations of inner-party foes. He was elected from here in 2001 and increased his winning margin to over 20,000 in 2006.