CPI(M) keen on sending Yechury to Rajya Sabha from Bengal

Kolkata: In a bid to strengthen the fight against Narendra Modi government in Parliament, the CPI(M)'s West Bengal unit is keen to nominate party general secretary Sitaram Yechury to Rajya Sabha from the state, with the help of the Congress.

Yechury had an excellent track record as a member of the Upper House of Parliament between 2005 and 2017, and the party is eager to nominate him in the Rajya Sabha elections to be held next month, state CPI(M) sources said on Monday.

In 2017, his name had cropped up for re-election. Even then Congress president Rahul Gandhi was keen on supporting his nomination from West Bengal. But the CPI(M) leadership had turned down the offer citing party rules that no member would be nominated three times in a row for the Upper House.

"Extraordinary situation calls for extraordinary measures. The country is going through an extraordinarily difficult situation and we need a strong voice in Parliament to oppose the Modi government's policies. There can be no better person than Yechury for the job. Presently discussions are on, let's see what happens," a senior CPI(M) leader

said.