It IS Sitaram Yechuri!

Sitharam Yechuri is the new party general secretary of CPI M who will be replacing Prakash Karat who has ruled the party for three terms .Though the majority of the polit bureau members of CPI M has endorsed polit bureau member S Ramachandran Pillai for the new general secretary, SRP opted out sensing the general party mood and the people`s mood .The Bengal leader Biman Basu has suggested the name of Yechuri ending all speculation of a fierce contest for the post If SRP remained it would have created a big rift in the party when parties with innovative ideas like AAP is replacing CPI M in states other than Kerala. Even in Bengal the position of the party is precarious. Whether Yechuri the first Andhra Born general secertary after P Sundarayya to reach the post would rejuvenate the party riven by sectarianism which has even invaded the polit bureau is a moot question

It was thought that the Kerala members would tilt he scale in favour of SRP who is a lightweight in the party. Since the PB and Central committee were dominated by the official faction SRP could have been the natural choice. It seems good sense and party interests prevailed over factional interests by electing Yechuri

Yechuri has to rejuvenate the party and has to strengthen units in other states and has to build a credible non BJP alternative .He also has to disprove the feeling that the JNU campus recruiteees are dragon seeds in the party The polit bureau met last night to select the new general secretary but could not find a unanimous choic e Five members supported Yechury while eight supported S Ramachandran pillai

In the new central committee V S Achuthanadan would only be an invitee , reports indicate .The party has inducted 14 new faces into the central committee including Ak Balan, former minister of electricity form Kerala

Four new polit bureau members are inducted including Subhashini Ali