<p>The new general secretary of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, Sitaram Yechury, and the party's founding member Puchalapalli Sundarayya have something in common: They are both Telugu, and have occupied prominent—albeit different—positions in the highest echelons of the Leftist party.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Yechury, born on August 12, 1952, is one of the most prominent Communist leaders in the country. He is a member of the CPM politburo and was the Parliamentary party leader before being unanimously elected as its general secretary.<br /><br />Born in a Telugu-speaking Brahmin family in Chennai (erstwhile Madras), he did his schooling from Presidents Estate School, New Delhi, and then joined St Stephen's College for a BA (Honours) degree in Economics. <br /><br />In 1975, he completed his MA in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. <br />Yechury could not complete his PhD there as he was arrested during the Emergency.<br />He joined the Student's Federation of India in 1975 and went on to become its president, before joining the CPM. <br /><br />After a stint in the party central committee—then the central secretariat—he become a politburo member. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal in July 2005.<br />Yechury is currently married to journalist Seema Chisti, a former Delhi editor of the BBC's Hindi service. She is at present the resident editor of the “Indian Express” in Delhi. <br />Yechury has a daughter and a son from a previous marriage.<br /></p>
<p>The new general secretary of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, Sitaram Yechury, and the party's founding member Puchalapalli Sundarayya have something in common: They are both Telugu, and have occupied prominent—albeit different—positions in the highest echelons of the Leftist party.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Yechury, born on August 12, 1952, is one of the most prominent Communist leaders in the country. He is a member of the CPM politburo and was the Parliamentary party leader before being unanimously elected as its general secretary.<br /><br />Born in a Telugu-speaking Brahmin family in Chennai (erstwhile Madras), he did his schooling from Presidents Estate School, New Delhi, and then joined St Stephen's College for a BA (Honours) degree in Economics. <br /><br />In 1975, he completed his MA in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. <br />Yechury could not complete his PhD there as he was arrested during the Emergency.<br />He joined the Student's Federation of India in 1975 and went on to become its president, before joining the CPM. <br /><br />After a stint in the party central committee—then the central secretariat—he become a politburo member. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal in July 2005.<br />Yechury is currently married to journalist Seema Chisti, a former Delhi editor of the BBC's Hindi service. She is at present the resident editor of the “Indian Express” in Delhi. <br />Yechury has a daughter and a son from a previous marriage.<br /></p>