Ram Chandra Dome to be 1st Dalit politburo member: CPI-M sources

Seven-time MP and the CPI-M Central Committee member from West Bengal, Ram Chandra Dome will be the first Dalit representative in the Politburo, which is the highest decision-making body of the party.

Sources in the CPI-M told IANS that the party's Central Committee meeting, which is being held at the Nayanar academy hall at Kannur in Kerala as part of the 23rd Party Congress, has taken a decision on it.

The CPI-M has never included a Dalit leader in its Politburo since it was formed after splitting away from the CPI in 1964.

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All India Kisan Sabha leader Ashok Dhawale from Maharashtra and former acting Secretary of Kerala CPI-M and Convenor of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), A. Vijayaraghavan will be the other representatives of the Politburo.

They will replace senior leaders S. Ramachandra Pillai and Hannan Mollah in the highest decision-making body of the party, CPI-M sources said.

Kerala ministers P. Rajeev and K.N. Balagopal will be included in the party's Central Committee members, the second-highest decision-making body of the party.

Two women leaders of the party, P. Sathidevi and C.S. Sujatha, both former MPs, will also be included in the CPI-M Central Committee.

The possibility of either former minister J. Mercykutty Amma and former MP T.N. Seema is also under consideration.

The party sources said senior leaders of the party from Kerala, P. Karunakaran and Vaikom Viswan will be removed from the CPI-M Central Committee as they are above the age of 75 years. This is also applicable to Politburo member S. Ramachandran Pillai, who will be excluded from the party Politburo.

The possibility of farmers' protest leader and former MLA from Kerala, P. Krishnaprasad and former MP, P. Biju to be included in the central committee is still under consideration.

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