The official reason being put forward by the CPI is that a decision to drop Mishra from the secretariat was taken since he is "too old". But then the inclusion of another veteran Parliamentarian, Geeta Mukherjee, now well into her seventies, defies logic.

The newly reconstituted secretariat has another new face, Daya Singh, CPI activist and student leader from Bihar. The last CPI party Congress held two years ago, had included in the central secretariat, National Secretary D Raja and Atul Kumar Anjaan, ostensibly to lower the age profile of the party leadership.

According to CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan, the nine-member secretariat was "unanimously elected". Bardhan was at pains to make clear that Mishra's views on Bihar and much less his opposition to Laloo Prasad Yadav hadanything to do with Mishra's exclusion from the secretariat. Mishra's differences with the party leadership arose because of his opposition to the CPI's call for opposing the BJP government's attempt to impose Article 356 in Bihar.

Mishra had also said that he would organise a symposium in Patna to highlight the misdeeds of the RJD government in the state.

What riled the CPI leadership further was Mishra's stand that he would join hands with Janata Dal leader Ram Vilas Paswan in opposing the RJD government.

Bardhan insisted that Mishra's presence in the CPI National Executive showed that he was still "very much in the decision-making bodies of the party", besides he said, it was not a "life-time post. What is so surprising if a member is dropped and new members are drafted in?" he questioned.

Age was not a criterion for yet another longstanding secretariat member, Indrajit Gupta, who continues in the secretariat, despite his having voiced his desire to step down. Bardhan explained that Gupta'spresence was necessary since he is the CPI's Parliamentary party leader. Asked if the inclusion of Laloo in the Third Front was under consideration, Bardhan said it was not a "Central issue".

"I don't think the whole political question of formation of the third front can be reduced to our attitude to one individual. It would be vulgarising the issue," Bardhan said.