CPI elects D Raja as general secy

New Delhi, July 21

The Communist Party of India (CPI) has elected its senior most secretary D Raja its new general secretary—the head of the party orgainsation. The CPI national council, during its three-day session that concluded here today, elected Raja to the top post. At present, he is also the leader of CPI’s parliamentary party.

The election to the post was necessitated after the party relieved incumbent Sudhakhar Reddy on his request citing ill health.

The council also elected former president of the JNU Student Union Kanhaiya Kumar to its national executive. In the recently held Lok Sabha elections, Kanhaiya had unsuccessfully contested the Begusarai seat in Bihar as a CPI nominee.

 Raja said he was in favour of re-unification of all Left parties. “The reunification must be on the basis of policies and principles… There is a need to counter the aggressive cultural nationalism being pushed by the BJP and the RSS,” he said.

He was critical of Rahul Gandhi for having contested the LS poll from Kerala, thereby adversely affecting the Left’s prospects in the state. The party’s national council also passed resolutions deciding to oppose government’s move to corporatise ordnance factories and amend the RTI Act. — TNS