Thiruvananthapuram: It is a punishment that India's oldest serving chief minister currently could have well done without. V S Achuthanandan, the most popular leader of the CPM in Kerala, has been removed from the party's politburo.
While he continues to be the chief minister of the state, what does the road ahead look like for Achuthanandan the politician?
The Chief Minister's open attack on his rival Pinarayi Vijayan, the CPM state secretary, has cost him his membership in the politburo. Sources close to Achuthanandan say he is weighing his options, as the fact that no action was initiated against Vijayan, his one-time protege, has not gone down well with the 86-year-old comrade.
Sources close to Achuthanandan say despite this humiliation, the Marxist veteran would not give up so soon, and leave the party. Leaders like M V Raghavan and Gowri Amma whose political careers did not blossom after being expelled from the CPM, will also be a deterrent.
"I think he will keep a low profile now, and use this time to gather more evidence. The SNC Lavalin case trial has not begun so the story is not over. And when he is charged up again and has got ammunition, he could launch his final attack," said senior journalist M G Radhakrishnan.
LDF ally, the CPI, which had earlier backed the CM's stand that law should take its own course in the SNC Lavalin case, has now distanced itself from the controversy.
"It is their internal party matter, we cannot comment," said V M Bhargavan, Kerala general secretary, CPI.
But come the 2011 state elections, the people of Kerala may well express their opinion on this battle of the two Marxists.