CPI (M) elects Prakash Karat as General Secretary for the second time

Coimbatore, Apr 3 : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) today re-elected Prakash Karat as the party General Secretary and also reconstituted the politburo replacing veteran leaders Jyoti Basu and Harkishen Singh Surjeet at the 19th party Congress here.

A 15 member Politburo has also been elected. Basu has been made a special invitee to the politburo, while ailing Surjeet has been made a special invitee to the Central Committee. Both Basu and Surjeet have been members of the Politburo for 44 years since 1964, when the CPI (M) was formed after the split in the Communist Party of India (CPI).

Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) General Secretary Mohd Amin and West Bengal Industry Minister Nirupam Sen are the new entrants in the 15-member Politburo elected by the party Congress on the concluding day.

The Party Congress also elected five-member Central Control Commission with N. Shangariah as the new chairman.

The 87-member new Central Committee, the highest decision making body of the party was also elected, inducting 17 new members. R Umanath will continue to be a member of the Central Committee.

Karat called for the formation of third front as alternative, while addressing the delegates after taking charge as General Secretary.

He also said that the party would oppose all the efforts of the Central Government to join hands with the US to form Strategic alliance.

ANI