CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away on Thursday following a prolonged illness, reports said.
He was reportedly undergoing treatment for Pneumonia at AIIMS, New Delhi. He was 72.
Yechury had been in critical condition over the past few days and was reliant on respiratory support. According to sources, the veteran leader passed away at 3:05 pm.
The CPI(M) announced on Tuesday that the 72-year-old leader had been receiving treatment for an acute respiratory tract infection in the ICU at AIIMS, Delhi. He had been admitted to the hospital on August 19 for a pneumonia-like chest infection.
Mr. Yechury was elected president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students' Union three times in a single year after his release from jail. It was during this period that he also met Prakash Karat, who would become a lifelong comrade.
In 1992, he was elected to the Politburo, and four years later, he was instrumental in drafting the Common Minimum Programme for the United Front government. Mr. Yechury also played a significant role in forming the ruling coalition for the UPA government in 2004.
