Thiruvananthapuram, Wednesday, May 25, 2011: Former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan was today unanimously elected as leader of the CPI(M) in the Assembly and to head the 68-member LDF Opposition in the 140-member House.

Former Home Minister and CPIM) Politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was elected deputy leader at the meeting of newly elected CPI(M) MLAs held at the party’s state headquarters AKG Centre here, party sources said.

That the 87-year-old veteran would lead LDF was a foregone conclusion as the party’s central and state leadership favoured him right from the start, considering his pivotal role in leading LDF in the Assembly polls in Kerala.

Former ministers A K Balan and M A Baby were elected as the party’s Assembly wing secretary and whip respectively.

Though the LDF lost power to the Congress-led UDF narrowly in the polls, Achuthanandan had been credited with denying the rival a comfortable win.

(News agency)