Relieve us from CPI (M) Polit Bureau: Surjeet, Basu

Coimbatore, Apr 1: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) leaders Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Jyoti Basu had requested the party to relieve them from Polit Bureau soon due to old age and ill-health.Talking to the source on Mondy night, CPI(M) Central Committee Member, W R Varadarajan said the senior leaders earlier requested to be relieved from the Polit Bureau due to their advanced age and immobility. A decision, would, however be taken on the last day of the party Congress on April three, he added.

Mr Varadarajan said during the 18th CPI(M) Congress at New Delhi in 2005, the Central Committee, highest forum of the party, elected 17 Polit Bureau members. But, unfortunately, Comrades Chitta Brata Mujumdar and Anil Biswas died some time back, he added. He said though the Comrades Surjeet and Basu urged the CPI(M) to relieve them from Polit Bureau in the last Congress, the party, however, requested them to continue, as it felt, their advice and guidance would be of immense assistance to the party.

The nonagenarians were part of the nine Polit Bureau members elected when the CPI(M) was formed in 1964. They were the only two surviving members till date.

This is the first time, the party Congress is in progress in the absence of Comrade Basu.

UNI