Yechury is 2nd Telugu to reach top position

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.

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.

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.

In 1975, he completed his MA in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.
Yechury could not complete his PhD there as he was arrested during the Emergency.
He joined the Student's Federation of India in 1975 and went on to become its president, before joining the CPM.

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.
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.
Yechury has a daughter and a son from a previous marriage.