CPI(M) senior leaders Sitaram Yechury and Buddhadev Bhattacharya offer to quit

New Delhi: In a major blow to the big brother of the Left, the CPI(M) senior party leader Sitaram Yechury has offered to quit from the politburo, the highest policy-making body of the Marxists.

Mr Yechury, who had offered to quit earlier, on May 18, reiterated his desire to resign from the politburo and continue as an ordinary member of the party during Friday evening’s CPI(M) politburo meeting in the national capital.

Besides Mr Yechury, West Bengal state secretary Biman Bose and former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya had also offered to quit from the politburo during the on May 18 politburo meet in Kolkata.

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, who is being held responsible for the complete marginalisation of the CPI(M) at the national level, had put the resignations on hold and decided to discuss the issue in the forthcoming Party Congress.

The offer to resign from the politburo by three top leaders has put a question mark on Mr Karat's leadership. Sensing this, Mr Karat has decided to drag the issue to Party Congress, which is expected in the beginning of 2015.

Despite the party being repeatedly routed in the last two general elections, Mr Karat has refused to take any responsibility, claiming it was a “collective responsibility”.

However, it was pointed out that in the party's doctrine, in the chapter “Democratic Centralism”, it is clearly stated that it would be “collective decision and individual Responsibility".