Stalin greets Raja on becoming CPI General Secretary

: DMK President M K Stalin Sunday greeted veteran CPI leader D Raja on his appointment as the party General Secretary.

"I wholeheartedly extend my greetings on behalf of DMK to D Raja on being elected as the General Secretary of CPI", Stalin said in a statement.

Raja was taking over as the CPI chief at a time when the fundamental features of the Constitution "are under stress," he said.

Raja replaces S Sudhakar Reddy who stepped down citing ill-health.

He was unanimously chosen as Reddy's successor at a three-day meeting of the CPI National Council, the top decision-making body of the party.

The change in leadership comes after the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.