D Raja to stay on as CPI general secretary for now

After a heated internal debate on the need for a change of guard, CPI's party Congress in Chandigarh re-elected D Raja (76) as general secretary by giving him an exemption from the party's 75-year age cap on leadership slots.

This, after Raja, when faced with the demand for him adhering to the age cap limit, expressed at the central secretariat meeting on Wednesday his desire to continue in the post.

He made an emotive appeal by even stressing on his humble social and economic origins besides citing his experience in interacting with other parties, party functionaries said. However, many senior CPI leaders, who have crossed 75 years, opted out of their respective posts to adhere to the party's age norm.