Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury died on Thursday at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness.

Yechury had been undergoing treatment for an acute respiratory tract infection since August 19 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. He was initially admitted to the emergency ward and later moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Born on August 12, 1952, in Chennai, Yechury’s political career began in 1974 with his involvement in the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). He swiftly advanced through the ranks, serving as President of the JNU Students’ Union three times and later as the All-India President of the SFI. In 1984, he was elected to the Central Committee of the CPI(M) as a permanent invitee. By 1992, he had ascended to the Politburo, a role he held for over thirty years.

Yechury served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal from 2005 to 2017. He succeeded Prakash Karat as the General Secretary of the CPI(M) in 2015 and was re-elected to the position in 2018 and 2022.

Yechury is survived by his wife, Seema Chisti, and his daughter, Akhila Yechury.