Veteran Left leader and CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away this afternoon at the age of 72. He had been receiving treatment for respiratory issues at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Yechury was admitted to AIIMS's emergency ward on August 19 and was later moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He was battling a pneumonia-like infection, although the exact nature of his illness was not disclosed by the doctors. Recently, he had also undergone cataract surgery.

Yechury was a member of the CPM Politburo, the party's top decision-making body, for over 30 years. He served as a Rajya Sabha member from 2005 to 2017. Educated at St. Stephen's College and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Yechury began his political journey with the Students' Federation of India before joining CPM in 1975. While pursuing a doctorate in Economics at JNU, he was arrested during the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government. His PhD remained unfinished due to his arrest.

After his release, Yechury was elected president of the JNU Student's Union three times. It was during this period that he met Prakash Karat, who became a lifelong ally. In 1992, Yechury was elected to the CPM Politburo, and four years later, he played a crucial role in drafting the Common Minimum Programme for the United Front government. He was also instrumental in forming the coalition for the UPA government in 2004.

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