NEW DELHI: CPM's central committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, has struck down a third-term in Rajya Sabha for its general secretary Sitaram Yechury whose second term is due to end on August 28. With no alternative name proposed by the committee, the party has, in effect, decided to give up its claim to a seat in the upper House.The stormy meeting of the deeply divided central committee finally saw the triumph of the Kerala lobby, led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan who dug in his heels and voted against a third term for Yechury. On the other hand, the West Bengal unit, which Yechury represents in Parliament and which sought a third term for him as an exception, cited previous departures from the party's "two-term rule".Though a formal announcement regarding Yechury was not made on Tuesday, senior party functionaries confirmed to TOIthat the central committee has opposed his candidature for now. It was argued that the party's constitution allows only two terms in the upper House for a member. Further, the Kerala lobby, while appreciating Yechury's contribution as a parliamentarian, was opposed to taking Congress ' support in West Bengal to send him to the upper House.

Source: Times of India July 25, 2017 21:41 UTC