Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan, communist politician from Kerala, India. Polit Bureau member of Communist Party of India (Marxist) since 1985. Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly. Born 1925 in Alappuzha district.

Active in the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising .

Became State Secretary of CPI(M) in 1980. Elected leader of Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1982.

Convenor of the Left Democratic Front. Editor of the CPI(M) daily Malayalam organ, Desabhimani.

VS was the Chief Minister candidate of LDF in the 1991, 1996 & 2001 Kerala Assembly elections. But in 1991 LDF lost, in 1996 VS was unable to win his seat in Mararikkulam and in 2001 elections LDF lost.

Of late VS gained immense popularity through the mimicry artists of the Kerala State, who imitated the funny and accented manner in which Com. VS Achuthanandan made his political speeches. A simple and down to earth person he at many times is unable to see the global effect of his words. Making a political issue of the recent Tsunami hit in the state, to use foul words against the then Chief Minister A.K Antony, and the referencing Sonia Gandhi as an "old woman" these are some of the incidents in which Com. VS shot in his own foot.