NEW DELHI: Veteran Left leader D Raja has been re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) for a consecutive term, following an exemption from the party’s age limit rule for members of the national secretariat. However, the Kerala unit of the party registered its opposition to this relaxation.
Raja, who became the first Dalit leader to head a communist party in India, was initially appointed in 2019 following the retirement of Sudhakar Reddy. He was re-elected at the Party Congress held in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, in 2022.
Sources revealed that although there were heated exchanges regarding the age cap, consensus was eventually reached to relax the 75-year age limit in Raja’s case.
“The party constitution allows for a 75-year age limit. Raja was re-elected due to his popularity, experience, and strong rapport with leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. His continued leadership was also seen as crucial in light of the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu,” party leaders said.
Earlier, the names of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) General Secretary Amarjeet Kaur and former Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam, a comparatively younger face, were also discussed for the post. Speculation was rife about the appointment of a Deputy General Secretary, but no decision was taken in that regard.
The state units of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana had called for strict adherence to the age limit. In contrast, Raja received support from Maharashtra and several northern states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
The decision was finalised during the national executive meeting held on Wednesday night as part of the 25th Party Congress in Chandigarh. All members of the national secretariat, executive, and councils, including Raja, were elected unanimously, confirmed Rajya Sabha floor leader and national executive member P Sandosh Kumar.
Sandosh Kumar, from Kerala, is among the youngest and newest entrants to the national secretariat. In total, five leaders retired from the secretariat. New members elected to the panel include Prekash Babu (Kerala), Santosh Kumar (Bihar), and Palla Venkat Reddy (Telangana).
“The Party Congress concluded with the election of Raja as General Secretary, alongside an 11-member national secretariat, a 31-member national executive, and 125 national council members, in addition to 13 candidate members,” said Kumar.
According to a party statement, K Ramakrishna (Andhra Pradesh) will serve as an invitee to the national secretariat. Pallab Sengupta, President of the World Peace Council and long-time head of CPI’s international department, will remain a permanent invitee to all higher bodies of the party. Mitra Vashu has been elected as Treasurer.
