The party state committee, which began its two-day session here this afternoon, postponed the task of finalising the party's list of candidates for the polls, contrary to earlier indications that the nomination of Achuthanandan and other senior party leaders would be settled today.

According to party sources, the state committee's view was that the entire list of candidates could be drawn up after completing the seat allocation among LDF partners.

The party would also elicit the opinion on the candidates from its district units, the sources said.

The seat-sharing exercise in the LDF would be taken up at the LDF liaison committee meeting on March 10. This would be followed by the CPI-M state committee meeting, tentatively slated for March 16.

The party state secretariat, which had a sitting in the presence of general secretary Prakash Karat and Politburo member S Ramachandran Pillai this morning, did not discuss the issue of Achuthanandan's candidature.

The CPI-M Politburo and the Central Committee, which met in Delhi two days back had left the delicate matter to the state unit to decide.

Achuthanandan had made it clear he was prepared to lead LDF once again if the party entrusted him with the task.