CPI-M to hold party Congress in Vishakapatnam next April

The CPI-M will hold its 21st Congress in Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh in April next year.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) central committee zeroed in on the south Indian port city after discussing various other city names over the past weeks.

Earlier, there was speculation that the Congress could be held in Tripura or West Bengal.

Those pitching for the northeastern state argued that with Tripura being the only state where the party was in power now, it would be convenient to hold the big event there.

However, logistical difficulty in arranging for the travel of a large number of delegates prompted the leadership to look for another venue.

Earlier, the party considered Kolkata in its erstwhile citadel West Bengal, where it had led a government for 34 years till 2011.

However, with the party not being in fine fettle, and the target of atrocities allegedly fomented by the ruling Trinamool Congress and the administration, the state leadership was reluctant to host the meet.