Kerala Assembly elections: At 92, Achuthanandan ready for another poll battle

New Delhi: Marxist leader and former Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan said on Thursday that he was ready to contest the coming assembly election in the state.

"Yes, I will contest if the party wants me to contest," the 92-year-old Communist Party of India-Marxist veteran told reporters here.

A six-time legislator, Achuthanandan -- now the leader of the opposition in the house -- won his first assembly election in 1967.

He faced a shock defeat in 1996, attributed to infighting in his party.

A hugely popular leader, he was the chief minister in 2006-11 and has been the opposition leader since 2011.

If the Left wins the upcoming assembly polls, Achuthanandan may be pitted against Pinarayi Vijayan, another Marxist leader who is also a contender for the chief minister's post.