4Day CPI National Meet in Hyderabad

V V Balakrishna
Last Updated : 03 Jan 2012

HYDERABAD: Around 100 top leaders of the Communist Party of India will gather here for four days from Tuesday to find out antiageing formula for the 87yearold party.

The main task before the national executive and the national council of the party is to discuss the policies and change of guard in a bid to reinvigorate the party. The draft proposals to be made at the fourday deliberations will be discussed and approved by the party's 21st congress to be held at Patna in March.

The party, at its 15th Congress held here in 1992, adopted a Programme Document. It has decided now to make some changes to it in keeping with the changes in the country's economy and politics in the last 20 years. "It is almost 20 years since we adopted the Programme Document in Hyderabad. We want to update the document in tune with the changing situations," party general secretary AB Bardhan said.

"The change in the country's economic policies brought about several changes like emergence of new classes in the country. Around 24 crore workers are working in the unorganised sector. The issues relating to working class, peasants and farmers should be addressed from a different perspective taking the changed situation into consideration," CPI deputy general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy said.

However, the 87yearold party is also facing problems due to ailing leader like Bardhan. He wanted to step down as general secretary in 2007 but the party said 'no'. The next Congress in March may find a replacement for him. Till now Sudhakar Reddy has been perceived as as a natural choice for the post but the top brass is believed to be searching for another comrade to take over the mantle. Asked whether he would replace Bardhan, Sudhakar Reddy said, "I have been facing health problems for five months. If my heath is good in the next two months, the party may consider my candidature."