Calcutta, Sept. 30: Mary Kom has been thrown into the unlikely ring of Marxian retirement - a treacherous arena that flaunts the banner "communists never retire".

Apparently inspired by the boxer who recently said she would retire after the Rio Olympics, a CPM veteran today posted on social media the words "Retire with Glory".

As with most matters in a communist party, the post by Madan Ghosh, a 71-year-old CPM state secretariat member and the chief of the party's peasant wing in Bengal, has left many comrades scratching their heads.

Ghosh himself has not shown any inclination till now to hang up his gloves - like most leaders of the CPM whose official machinery is packed with senior citizens who swear by Jyoti Basu's famous words that played on the military creed that a soldier never quits.

But Ghosh's timing has been impeccable. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, in his seventies but forced to bear the Bengal Marxist cross in the absence of an experienced second line, is believed to have been advocating the need for changing the old guard with new blood.

Before Ghosh's post was removed from Facebook after a few hours, some reacted saying " bujhlamna (couldn't get it)", others exclaimed: "What?"

Asked why he wrote the post, the state secretariat member who claimed to be a boxing aficionado said he had Mary in mind.

CPM sources said Ghosh was never known to like any sport, and he disliked the idea of retiring.

Ghosh said he could not understand what the hue and cry was all about. "I have just made a mention about retirement, going by what Mary Kom had said. She said she would retire after the Brazil Olympics next year. I have merely posted my comment keeping Mary Kom in mind," he said.

Asked why he didn't mention Mary, the 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist, in his post, Ghosh said: "There was no need to mention her name. I just liked her comment."

In the party, several theories floated. "He (Ghosh) is a traditional hardliner. He has often come in the way of inducting new and younger faces in the party's decision-making bodies. It is surprising that he is talking about retirement," a CPM leader in Burdwan said.

If Ghosh was indeed stressing on retiring, he could not have chosen a better sportsperson. Till last year, Mary was among medals - she got a gold in the Asian Games in South Korea in 2014.

Ghosh may want "glory" before retirement, but the CPM is far from finding its winning formula. Its series of election setbacks has made leaders such as Bhattacharjee push for young blood in the ranks.

Some CPM sources said Ghosh was expressing his anguish at Bhattacharjee's line that favours elderly leaders, including himself and Ghosh, making way for younger faces in decision-making bodies. "Buddhada had indicated that besides himself, Ghosh, Biman Bose, Shyamal Chakraborty and Nripen Chowdhury should step aside from the CPM state secretariat and the state committee," a party source said. Ghosh apparently did not agree with this stand.

"Madanda may have wanted a debate on this topic before the plenum scheduled later this year as he thinks he still has a lot to contribute to the party," the party source said while trying to explain the leader's tweet.

In the run-up to the CPM state conference in March, Ghosh's name had figured, though not eminently, among possible successors to Bose as the party state secretary. However, the scales turned towards Surjya Kanta Mishra primarily because of Bhattacharjee's backing, a CPM source said.

In the past few years, senior leaders such as Nirupam Sen, Mohammad Amin, Raghunath Kushari, Rajdeo Goala and the late Benoy Konar were dropped from the state committee and the state secretariat on health grounds.

Today, a section of CPM state secretariat leaders took "exception" to Ghosh's "surprising" remarks, saying the senior leader could have avoided making such a comment in the social media.

"What was the need for Madanda to post such a message on Facebook and Twitter? He is a senior leader who has witnessed several struggles in the party. He should have been cautious about what he said," a CPM state secretariat member said.