CPI(M) to announce Anil's successor on March 31

Kolkata, Mar 27(UNI) The CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee will elect its new Secretary on March 31 with the party's Polit Bureau already presenting its view on the choice of successor to Mr Anil Biswas, who died yesterday.

''The party's State Committee will meet on March 31 for election of the new Secretary,'' CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat announced here today soon after participating in the mourners' procession with the body of Mr Biswas.

Mr Karat said the meeting would be followed by a mass meeting at the city's Shahid Minar.

Earlier, party spokesman Sitaram Yechury indicated that the Polit Bureau had identified a new Secretary for the party's West Bengal State Committee to fill in the void created by Mr Biswas, whose death came as a shock to the party barely three weeks before the state elections.

''The Polit Bureau has already given its opinion on the likely successor to Mr Biswas. It is now up to the State Committee to take a decision,'' he told reporters.

Mr Yechury, however, refused to disclose the name.

The death of Mr Biswas has given rise to speculations over the possibility of Left Front Committee Chairman Biman Bose as the likely successor. A Polit Bureau member and a heavyweight in the organisation as much as Mr Biswas was, Mr Bose has been asked by the party to share with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee the poll-related responsibilities of the departed Secretary pending further decision.

Though the names of Industry Minister Nirupam Sen and State Secretariat member Madan Ghosh were doing rounds, Mr Biswas was widely believed to be the front runner in the choice of the new incumbent to the post.

Describing the death of Mr Biswas as a grievous loss to the entire Left movement in the country, Mr Karat said this would be felt deeply in the party's all India leadership also.

''He was the best among the second generation leaders of the party. He was exceptionally talented in organisation and he devised appropriate tactics in every twist and turn of situation,'' Mr Karat said paying tributes to his departed comrade.

The CPI(M) General Secretary said Mr Biswas had made invaluable contribution both to formulation of party strategies and his views on ideological and political issues had helped the party greatly.

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