Thiruvananthapuram, February 16 Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Monday claimed that his remark that Pinarayi Vijayan would be the "next" Chief Minister of Kerala was "exaggerated" by the media.
Aiyar said the comment was just "a brief statement" in his speech, and that it had been amplified.
"It was only a brief statement in that speech which has been exaggerated," he told
However, he said the LDF government in the state was doing outstanding work.
"I made the speech after hearing Mary Joseph, who is the Principal Secretary of the Planning Board. She listed the achievements...," he said.
In response to some Congress leaders claiming that Aiyar was no longer connected with the party, the former MP said that only AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge could remove him from the organization.
On Sunday, speaking at the international seminar titled "Vision 2031: Development and Democracy", Aiyar had said he was confident that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would continue in office.
The remark drew sharp criticism, with AICC leaders publicly distancing themselves from his statement.