Mr Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, a prominent CPI leader belonging to the AP, was elected as national general secretary of the party in place of AB Bardhan.

The 21st National Council meeting of the party, which ended at Patna today, elected him as the General Secretary to lead the party for the next four years. He has been deputy General Secretary of the party and assisted Mr Bardhan till now in leading the party at the national level.

Mr Suravaram becomes the first leader from AP to have been elected to the top post of the CPI 24 years after veteran communist leader Chandra Rajeswara rao.

Sudhakar Reddy, a two-time MP from Nallagonda, also led the party in the state twice till now as its secretary. He led the CPI-affiliated AISF and AIYF as president and General Secretary in the past.

Born at Mahaboobnagar on March 25, 1942, Sudhakar Reddy took his law degree from Osmania University and has remained a committed CPI activist. His wife Vijayalakshmi is also an active member of the CPI. (J)