Prakash Karat back in CPI(M) saddle as 'interim' coordinator

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) now in session in New Delhi, took the decision after the demise of the sitting General Secretary of the party, Sitaram Yechury.

New Delhi: Senior leader Prakash Karat will lead the CPI(M) until the 24th Party Congress in next April when it elects a new General Secretary following the death of incumbent Sitaram Yechury.

The 76-year-old Left leader was chosen as the “coordinator” of the Polit Bureau and Central Committee as an “interim arrangement” in the absence of a full-time General Secretary till the next Party Congress in Madurai.

This decision made at a meeting of the Central Committee was taken due to the “sad and sudden demise” of the sitting General Secretary, a party statement said.

Assigning Karat a new role has ignited speculation whether he would renew the bid to amend the political line to avoid any electoral understanding with the Congress while attempting to defeat the BJP.

Karat was in opposition to Yechury’s line of bringing together all secular and democratic forces, including Congress, in the fight against BJP after arguing over whether the BJP is “fascistic” or “authoritarian”. The coming days would clear the air as Karat would be presenting draft documents for the Party Congress to the Polit Bureau and Central Committee.

The CPI(M) had witnessed intense internal battle over the issue with Yechury prevailing in the end that all secular and democratic forces, including Congress, should be brought together in defeating the “fascistic” BJP.

Karat, who was a Polit Bureau member since 1992, was party’s General Secretary between 2005 and 2015 before he handed over the party reins to Yechury, who died on September 12 at the age of 72. This is the first time a sitting General Secretary died while holding the post.

A consensus had arrived on the veteran Left leader at the Polit Bureau meeting held on Friday and Saturday and the decision came after the proposal was placed before the Central Committee, which started its meeting on Sunday morning.

At the Polit Bureau meeting, sources said, a consensus emerged on Karat's name, though some leaders wanted to explore whether they could bring in a new and younger leader as they wanted to “look forward and not backward”.

However, they left it as a suggestion, as leaders like Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar backed Karat.

Karat had completed three terms, the upper limit, as party General Secretary in 2015 and he had also crossed 75 years. As per CPI(M), leaders above 75 years exit the committees they represent at the end of their tenure.

However, sources said the leadership chose Karat as he is the most experienced leader to steer the party into a Party Congress, which is held every three years and elect the central committee and decide on the political line.