While it is still unclear if there would be a leadership change in the CPM after a post-mortem of the humiliating election debacle in West Bengal,CPI general secretary A B Bardhan on Wednesday made it clear that his party would witness a change of guard next year. In other words,Bardhan is set to hand over the mantle to the next generation. The 85-year-old veteran Communist had expressed his desire to step down four years ago as he wanted the younger generation to take over the reins. But his party had then rejected his wish and re-elected him as general secretary for the fourth term. The CPIs Party Congress,which meets once in every three years to elect the team of office-bearers and general secretary,is set to meet in March next year. After the two-day CPI national executive,which met here to review the election setback,Bardhan was very clear. When asked whether there would be a leadership change in the CPI,he said according to the partys constitution,No general secretary can continue for more than three terms. Bardhan had succeeded Indrajit Gupta as CPI General Secretary in 1996. All I can tell you is there will be a change as far as the CPI is concerned. I have completed my term, he said. Bardhan has in the past spoken of his age as a constraint. In fact,the CPI had virtually laid out the succession plan at its Hyderabad party Congress three years ago when it had elected S Sudhakar Reddy as the deputy general secretary. Although Reddy still remains the top contender for the general secretarys post,in the partys scheme of things the leadership is elected by the delegates of the Party Congress. Bardhan,however,made it clear that the leadership change has nothing to do with the defeat in the elections. We will have our 21st party Congress in Patna in March next year. That is where a new leadership is elected.. But this change has nothing to do with the recent developments. We always take responsibility both at the collective and individual levels, he said.
