Veteran communist leader Achuthanandan turns 93

Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran communist leader and former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan turned 93 on Thursday.

Achuthanandan is one of the founding leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and one of the country's oldest politicians still active in public life. He was born on October 20, 1923 in Alappuzha district of Kerala.

A stream of visitors came to his official residence in the state capital to wish the nonagenarian leader on his birthday. Besides, he also received numerous phone calls.

Later, he went to attend the ongoing Kerala assembly session. As the veteran leftist leader walked up to his seat in the front row in the house, he acknowledged the greetings from fellow legislators.

Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan's announcement about Achuthanandan turning 93 was greeted with enthusiastic thumping of desks from both the treasury and opposition benches.

Later, he returned home. After he cut a cake to celebrate the occasion, he was asked how he felt on turning 93. "Are you not seeing what I am doing?" pat came the reply.

At present, Achuthanandan is Chairman of Kerala's Administrative Reforms Committee, a post with Cabinet minister rank.