In a change of guard in the Communist Party of India (CPI), Rajya Sabha member D. Raja took over as party general secretary on July 21 with the incumbent general secretary Sudhakar Reddy stepping down from the post due to ill-health. A two-time Rajya Sabha MP, Mr. Raja's second term ends on July 24. Mr. Raja, 70, is the first Dalit to occupy the position in a mainstream communist party. He started out as a student leader and rose through the ranks to become the CPI’s national secretary in 1994. Known for his affable nature, Mr. Raja has been one of most visible faces of the party in Delhi.

Source: The Hindu July 21, 2019 10:41 UTC