New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) The CPI unanimously re-elected senior leader D Raja as its general secretary at the conclusion of the 24th party congress at Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.

Raja took over the reins of the party in July 2019, after its incumbent general secretary, Sudhakar Reddy, stepped down due to ill-health.

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The 73-year-old leader is the first person from the Dalit community to occupy the position in a mainstream communist party.

On being re-elected, Raja said the primary agenda of his party will be to defeat the BJP. He called on a united Left to defeat the RSS-BJP combine.

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Criticising the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, he said it seeks to redefine and dismantle a secular India.

Raja also expressed concerns over recent electoral performances of the Communist Party of India (CPI), which will complete 100 years in 2025.

"We need to rejuvenate the party and also focus on being involved in mass movements," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)