Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 25 (IANS): After walking out of the 21st CPI-M state party conference, former chief minister V.S.Achuthanandan is all set to attend the 22nd state party conference of the Communist Party of India (CPI) that begins at Kottayam Friday.

He is miffed over being listed as being with an anti-party attitude in a resolution of his Communist Part of India-Marxist (CPI-M). Following this, the veteran leader came under flak from various speakers at the conference.

The 91-year-old veteran walked out on the second day of his party's state conference at Alappuzha.

He returned to the state capital last Sunday. Since then, despite passionate pleas from the CPI's(M) top leadership, Achuthanandan has been defiant and has remained out of the public glare. He is stay put at his official residence here.

But what has left many with raised eyebrows is Achuthanandan's decision to attend the 22nd Communist Party of India's (CPI) state party conference, when he is to inaugurate a seminar Saturday.

New CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, however, gave a guarded reply to questions on the fate of Achuthanandan in the party, playing down the veteran leader's appearance at the CPI party meet.

"Oh, there is nothing wrong for him to take part and inaugurate a seminar at the CPI state conference. After all, they are also a communist party," Balakrishnan told reporters here Wednesday.

Saying that Achuthanandan himself has to decide on the way he decides to go about things, Balakrishnan added that on the floor of the assembly the veteran leader will be leading from the front, attacking the state government.

The Kerala assembly's budget session is scheduled for early next month and Balakrishnan is hopeful that he will be able to pacify the veteran.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy also sought to play down the rebellion of Achuthanandan by stating: "These are all issues of another party and I generally do not make any statements in these situations."