Veteran CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury dies at 72; body to be donated to AIIMS

Communist Party of India Marxist's general secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away on Thursday after a prolonged illness. Party and hospital sources confirmed his demise.

Sitaram, 72, was in a critical condition in AIIMS for many days and was on respiratory support. His body will be donated to AIIMS for teaching and research purposes.

Yechury was in the intensive care unit of AIIMS, New Delhi, and was being treated for an acute respiratory tract infection.

“A multi-disciplinary team of doctors was closely monitoring his condition, which was critical at this time,” AIIMS said.

In a statement, the CPI(M) said Yechury's body will be kept at the party headquarters here between 11 am and 3 pm on Saturday for public viewing and paying homage. Subsequently, the body will be taken to AIIMS, where it will be donated for medical research, according to his wishes.

One of the most prominent opposition stalwarts, Yechury has long been known for his anti-BJP stance, both inside and outside Parliament.

His clout in the Left Front was evident from the fact that he had been a member of the CPI(M)'s central committee since 1984 and politburo since 1992.

Yechury's term in the Rajya Sabha ended in 2020 when the CPI(M)'s Kerala faction led by Prakash Karat and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan prevailed on the party to deny a re-nomination to the party general secretary on grounds that as a rule, no one is nominated beyond two terms.

Had the CPI(M) decided to nominate Yechury he would have won from West Bengal where the Congress was willing to back him.

Yechury is also famous in political circles as a close advisor to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and was largely considered as one of the key figures behind the opposition INDIA alliance which was conceived by JDU's Nitish Kumar.