(Recasting intro making it clear that reference is to unity of

Unity of Left forces will certainly happen in future though there is no time-frame for it, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said here today after being elected as the party's new General Secretary.
Yechury was unanimously elected to the top post at the party's 21st national congress which concluded here today. He is the fifth person to hold the post.
"Merger (of Left forces) is still on cards. But, the first issue is to strengthen our party, based on which work for the unity of Left forces is to be undertaken, and again based on which mobilising Left and democratic forces together will be done," Yechury told reporters after his elevation.

"There is no time-frame for the merger. But we are trying for the merger to happen at the earliest. It may take two months or six months. But it will happen definitely and that is our determination and also promise," the 62-year-old leader said.
Replying to a query on the challenges before him, he said the challenges are to strengthen the party, building the unity of Left forces, and bringing the Left and democratic forces together.
"Our priority will be on how to move forward on the basis of our struggle against the economic policies that are imposed resulting in greater burden on our people, and the communal ideology which is dividing our country and the people," the new general secretary of CPI(M) said.

The party today also elected 91 members of its central committee, besides five special invitees and as many permanent invitees (in the central committee). It also elected the 16-member politburo team to lead the party for next three years.
Earlier, addressing the CPI(M) meet, Yechury said this is the congress of future, future of our party and our country.