CPM will get new general secy at 21st Congress in April: Karat

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat today made it clear that he would be replaced at the party's 21st Congress at Visakhapatnam in April.
"The general secretary will change because our constitution provides for only three terms for a secretary at any level. So already in the state conferences many of our state secretaries who completed three terms have changed... when (new) central committee is elected, there will be a new general secretary...Who it will be is up to the new central committee and the party congress," Karat said here.
He was here to attend the central committee meeting to finalise the draft political tactical line and draft political resolution which would be discussed at the Congress.

Asked about the CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy favouring merger of all the communist parties, Karat said the matter was not on the agenda of the ongoing meeting. He however, favoured a broad left unity on the people's issue.
Asked if the party had identified any drawbacks following the electoral setbacks, he said report on the issue was being prepared.
On the second day of the meeting today, the committee adopted draft review report on the political tactical line. Draft political resolution is expected to be adopted tomorrow.

The resolution says that with BJP coming to power at the Centre, the stage is set for a "right-wing offensive comprising an aggressive pursuit of neo-liberal policy and a full-scale attempt by the RSS-led Hindutva forces to advance communal agenda."

The committee also condemned the steps to curtail the MNREGA, cuts in expenditure on the health and education, and four-fold increase in the excise duty which prevents the benefit of falling oil prices from reaching the consumer.
It also asked all its party units to join the left parties' call to protest on January 24 against the visit of US President Barak Obama.