Thu Sep 12 17:57:18 UTC 2024: ## CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury Passes Away
**New Delhi, September 12, 2024:** Sitaram Yechury, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), passed away on Thursday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. He was 72. Yechury, a prominent figure in Indian politics, had been undergoing treatment for a lung infection since August 19.
Yechury was a well-known Marxist and a skilled communicator who could easily connect with intellectuals and ordinary people alike. He was known for his multilingualism and ability to unite diverse ideological groups. His political career spanned nearly five decades, beginning with his leadership of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, where he famously forced Indira Gandhi to resign as the university’s Chancellor.
He was a long-time member of the CPI(M) Central Committee and Politburo, rising through the ranks to become General Secretary in 2015. A three-term Rajya Sabha member, Yechury was a sharp and humorous parliamentarian known for his historical insights. He was also a key figure in forging electoral alliances between the Opposition, including the Congress party.
Yechury’s legacy as a political strategist and coalition builder will be remembered. He was instrumental in crafting the Common Minimum Program for the United Front government in 1996 and for the United Progressive Alliance governments in 2004 and 2009. He played a pivotal role in uniting the Opposition against the BJP, leading to the formation of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance in 2023.
His death has left a void in Indian politics, with condolences pouring in from across the political spectrum.
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