Kolkata, Apr 3 (IANS): Former West Bengal chief minister and politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is staying away from the 20th congress of the CPI-M starting Wednesday at Kozhikode in Kerala.

Sources in the Communist Party of India-Marxist Tuesday said Bhattacharjee's decision was prompted by a respiratory disorder for which he has been advised against flying.

Bhattacharjee has skipped all politburo meetings except the ones held in Kolkata since the party's debacle in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

Critics have often linked his absence from politburo and central committee meetings to strong differences with CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat.

They said Bhattacharjee had strong reservations about Karat's decision to withdraw the party's support to the Congress-led UPA government in 2008 over the India-US civil nuclear deal.

This school of thought feels it was Karat's decision which led to the alliance between the Congress and Trinamool that ended 34 years of Left rule in West Bengal.

Meanwhile, a 175-member team of leaders from West Bengal left for Kozhikode Tuesday.