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Sitaram Yechury gets third term as CPI(M) general secretary
Kerala, the only state where the party is in power, established its supremacy with 15 central committee and four Politburo members.
The 23rd party congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kannur on Sunday decided to give another term to general secretary Sitaram Yechury even as the party inducted the first Dalit member in the Politburo and elected many youngsters to the central committee.
Yechury told the media that three members from the Politburo had retired-- S Ramachandran Pillai, Biman Bose and Hananmullla. Three new members had been included in their place, Left Democratic Front state convener A Vijayaraghavan, Dalit leader Ramachandra Dome from West Bengal and Ashok Dhawale, president of the All-India Kisan Sabha. Often opponents had blamed the party earlier for not including a Dalit in the party apex body.
Yechury (69) has retained the top position when the party is facing a stiff challenge at the national level as its strength has dwindled considerably in some of its erstwhile bastions like West Bengal and Tripura. Rising from the ranks, he joined the party student body Students Federation of India in 1974 and later became the all-India president of the SFI. Arrested during the emergency, he was also elected president of the JNU Students’ Union twice. He was elevated to the central committee in 1985 and Politburo in 1992 and succeeded Prakash Karat as the party general secretary in 2015.
“Enough challenges are ahead for the party. Our leaders never retire but since there is an age cap they will be active in other forums of the party”, said Yechury. He said the party has finalised the new central committee of 85 members out of whom 17 are newcomers and 15 women. State finance minister K N Balagopal and Industry Minister P Rajeev were elected to CC and two women, state women commission chief P Sathidevi and C S Sujata, former MP, also became members of the CC.
Kerala, the only state where the party is in power, established its supremacy with 15 CC and four Politburo members. Kerala’s dominance was quite visible at the congress after it prevailed over the party not to have any direct link with the Congress. The political resolution said state units are free to take a call on electoral understandings or adjustments depending on the local situation. Though the West Bengal unit favoured a direct alliance with the Congress, the Kerala unit opposed it strongly saying there is no point in running after the Congress which, it said, often diluted its position on secularism and economic policies. A national alternative to the BJP could be found only by building suitable political alliances at regional levels, the resolution said closing doors on the Congress. Responding to criticism, the party leaders had to admit shortcomings on the part of the central leadership on several occasions.
Yechury’s reported soft corner towards the Congress was used earlier by Kerala leaders and other-Congress opponents like Prakash Karat to block his elevation to the party secretary’s post in 2015 but he managed the post with the help of a majority of central committee members. Party observers said he stood with the wind after gauging the mood of Kerala leaders who nourish a steadfast anti-Congress attitude due to regional political compulsions.
The four-day party congress which concluded on Sunday witnessed a tragic event also after the death of central committee member MC Josephine (74). She collapsed at the venue and was rushed to the hospital on Saturday and a day later she died. Former chairperson of the state women’s commission her body was later brought to the venue for people to pay last respects. “She was a leader wedded to her ideology and excelled in all fields she took up,” said Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in his condolence message.
