Yechury vs Karat personality clash moves into its final round

At the deliberations in Hyderabad, the Karat camp is likely to highlight the ever-dwindling legislative presence of the CPI (M) in the last three years

At a time of plummeting legislative presence, but still robust peasants and workers organisations, the Communist Party India (Marxist), or CPI (M), will meet in Hyderabad from Tuesday to decide its electoral line for the next three years. Over the next six days, it might even vote to elect a new party chief.

Party sources claimed current party general secretary or chief, Sitaram Yechury was determined to contest if the rival camp, led by his predecessor Prakash Karat, fields former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar as the challenger.

The party conclave, termed ‘congress’, is held once in three years. The previous one