D Raja re-elected CPI General Secretary for third term despite Kerala opposition

The first Dalit chief of a Left party continues at the helm after age norms were relaxed, as Kerala and several southern units opposed his extension while northern leaders backed him.

New Delhi: D Raja was on Thursday elected General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) for a third term, as the party’s triennial congress relaxed age norms to allow him to continue in the post, despite strong opposition from the Kerala unit until the last minute.

Raja’s continuation as the first Dalit General Secretary of a Left party comes even as discussions at the Party Congress in Chandigarh considered elevating Amarjeet Kaur, who could have become the first woman chief of a Left party, or Binoy Vishwam, a comparatively younger face.

There was also speculation about appointing a Deputy General Secretary, but no decision was taken.

Raja faces a challenging task in his new term, having faced criticism for not rejuvenating the CPI during his leadership.

Sources said a section of the party, backed by the Kerala unit, opposed relaxing the retirement age for leaders over 75. A meeting of the outgoing National Executive on Wednesday witnessed protracted discussions on the matter.

Leaders like K Narayana and Pallab Sengupta expressed willingness to step down. However, Raja, who first became General Secretary on 21 July 2019, made an emotional appeal citing his experience in managing the I.N.D.I.A bloc parties and his long-standing relationships with them.

Though leaders, including from Kerala, insisted the age bar should not be relaxed for anyone, the Executive decided in Raja’s favour. It also clarified that no other leader above 75 would be allowed to remain in the national leadership.

Besides Kerala, leaders from Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka opposed Raja’s continuation, while those from northern India supported him.

Raja (76), a two-term former Rajya Sabha MP, had succeeded S Sudhakar Reddy, who passed away recently, in July 2019 after the latter relinquished his post mid-term due to health reasons. He was re-elected at the Party Congress in Vijayawada in 2022.

Raja entered politics during his college days and was sent by the party to Moscow for a year to study political economy and philosophy. Born to a landless agricultural worker couple in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, he holds BSc and BEd degrees.

Mentored by CPI veterans like Indrajit Gupta and AB Bardhan, Raja was appointed CPI National Secretary in 1994 and continued in that role until his elevation as General Secretary. Since 1996, he has represented the CPI alongside Bardhan in government formation talks and other political engagements.