Senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury was on Sunday unanimously elected the new general secretary of the party.

The party also elected 91 members of its central committee and also the 16-member politburo on the concluding day of its 21st congress in Visakhapatnam.

Addressing the CPI(M) meet here, Yechury, after getting elected as the General Secretary, said this is the congress of future, future of our party and our country.

Our task is to strengthen unity of Left and democratic forces. The unmistakable conclusion of this congress is that the crisis in capitalism continues to deepen in the world. There is no alternative except to strengthen the struggle for socialism. If there is any future for human civilisation, that future lies in socialism.
– Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) General Secretary

Yechury’s name for the post was proposed by outgoing General Secretary Prakash Karat and seconded by S Ramachandran Pillai.

Prior to his election, Yechury was considered as the front-runner for the post of general secretary. Pillai had yesterday rubbished the reports suggesting that he was also in the race for the top job in CPI(M). Pillai said that the party will decide the candidate for the post.

During its 21st congress which concluded in Visakhapatnam, the CPI(M) said that the immediate task on its hand was the fight against the Narendra Modi government’s policies and “communal” agenda of the Hindutva forces, but ruled out joining hands with Congress in its campaign.

“This (fight against BJP and its policies) is the main task at hand. This requires a concerted opposition to the Modi government’s economic policies and its Hindutva-oriented social and educational policies,” said the draft political resolution adopted by party on Saturday.

(With inputs from PTI)