CPI faces leadership churn as D Raja hits age cap ahead of Chandigarh party congress

New Delhi: Communist Party of India (CPI) is grappling with the issue of the party's leadership ahead of the 25th CPI party congress in Chandigarh early next week as incumbent general secretary D Raja has crossed 75, the age limit fixed for party leaders to step aside.

This has sparked animated hushed discussions in the party circles on the possibility of a new party chief - as happened in CPI-M, with MA Baby becoming the new general secretary in the last party congress - and about possible contenders to head the CPI.

Raja has been among the most recognised faces of CPI, more so since he became general secretary in 2019, getting re-elected to the post in 2022.


Two CPI central secretariat members, Amarjeet Kaur and Binoy Viswam, are said to be the most discussed potential successors if the Chandigarh meet opts for a change of guard.

Kaur, who is also the general secretary of CPI's influential trade union wing AITUC, has impressive credentials as a firebrand woman leader, with organisational and oratory prowess, having risen by heading the party's student and youth wings nationally before becoming part of CPI's leadership team.

Viswam has moved up in the party similarly and was re-elected last week as the state secretary of the Kerala CPI. There has been talk that he is keen to stay focused on the party matters related to election-bound Kerala.

The dominant view within the 11-member CPI central secretariat - which includes K Narayana, Nagendra Nath Ojha, Azeez Pasha, Annie Raja (Raja's wife), RK Panda and Pallab Sengupta, with many of them being aspirants to the post - will be crucial in shaping the congress' decision on change of guard, said people familiar with the matter.