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The central committee of the CPI (M), its highest decision-making body, on Tuesday decided against nominating party general secretary Sitaram Yechury for a third consecutive Rajya Sabha term, a top leader said.
A deeply divided central committee took the decision after a vote by raising of hands, capping deliberations on the contentious issue that lasted nearly four hours.
In fact, a majority of central committee members from other southern states, including Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, too, opposed the proposal which had the backing of the West Bengal and Tripura units.
The proposal for a third term for Yechury was moved by the West Bengal unit of the CPI(M) in June after the Congress' central leadership reportedly offered its support to help get Yechury re-elected.
The CPI(M) leadership is also learnt to have spoken to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan about his interview to Indian Express in which he said Yechury cannot be sent to the Rajya Sabha with the help of the Congress, an old rival in the southern state.
In the interview, Vijayan had said that should Yechury take up a third term in the Rajya Sabha, he would not be able to do justice to the role, as his status as the party's general secretary required him to travel across the country for party matters.
The second term of Yechury, a Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal, ends next month.
The election for six West Bengal Rajya Sabha seats, including the one represented by Yechury, will be held on 8 August. Nomination for the poll is to be filed before 28 July.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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