KANNUR: Determined to reclaim its lost space in national politics, the CPM has given Sitaram Yechury a third term at the helm and inducted for the first time in its history a Dalit into the politburo.Yechury, an articulate leader adept in sewing alliances, was re-elected general secretary at a time when CPM has vowed to take the lead in forming a broad alliance of secular, democratic forces to isolate and defeat BJP.
The 23rd CPM party congress, which concluded in Kannur on Sunday, elected a 17-member politburo, with three new faces. The new PB will have Dalit representation in West Bengal leader Ram Chandra Dome. “For the first time, the party has a Dalit joining the politburo,” said Yechury announcing the decision.
Convener of the ruling LDF in Kerala, A Vijayaraghavan, and All India Kisan Sabha president Ashok Dhawale are the other new members. The party congress also elected an 85-member central committee. Three senior politburo members who crossed the upper age limit of 75 years — S Ramachandran Pillai from Kerala and Biman Bose and Hannan Mollah from West Bengal — moved out of the PB. They have been made special invitees to the central committee (CC).
Going by the party decision, the size of the central committe has been trimmed from 95 to 85 this time. With the new age criteria, the CC is now a tad younger. The 85-member CC has 17 fresh faces. There are 15 woman members in the new committee. One slot is kept vacant. Veterans V S Achuthanandan and Paloli Mohammad Kutty have been dropped as special invitees.
Among the central committee members, four are from Kerala, three from West Bengal, two each from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, one each from Tripura, Telangana, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
‘Red flag won’t permit BJP to destroy India’
As expected, ministers K N Balagopal and P Rajeeve made it to the central committee from Kerala. This time around, two women from the state former MP C S Sujatha and Kerala Women’s Commission chairperson and former MP P Sathidevi got representation in the committee. Seniors P Karunakaran, Vaikom Viswan and M C Josephine were dropped from central committee in addition to S Ramachandran Pillai. Addressing the delegates at the end of the party congress, Yechury said the CPM won’t let BJP destroy the secular democratic fabric of the country.
“It’s our resolve to fight and defeat the BJP which has been pursuing the Hindutva, the communal agenda of the RSS. It’s essential not only for the party’s forward movement, but also to safeguard India as a secular democratic country and protect the institution of the constitutional republic, the rights of the minorities and the unity of India as a federal structure.
The red flag will not permit BJP to destroy India,” said Yechury. Earlier in the day, senior politburo member Prakash Karat replied to the discussion on the party organisational report. Responding to criticism from delegates, he admitted to shortcomings on the part of the central leadership.
‘Structural changes in leadership will bring in positive impact’
Kannur: “The immediate priority for the party is to ensure that the burden imposed on the common man is reversed. The BJP’s attempt to divide the people on religious lines must be opposed and defeated,” Sitaram Yechury told TNIE. “The CPM will resolutely face all challenges to protect the secular democratic character of the Indian Republic,” he said. Responding to questions, Yechury said structural changes
in the leadership will bring in positive impact.