M.A. Baby Appointed as New CPI-M General Secretary at Party’s 24th Congress
Senior CPI-M leader and Politburo member M.A. Baby has been elected as the new General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) during the 24th Party Congress held in Madurai.
Madurai/Chennai: Senior CPI-M leader and Politburo member M.A. Baby has been elected as the new General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) during the 24th Party Congress held in Madurai. With this elevation, Baby becomes the second leader from Kerala to assume the party’s top position, after the legendary EMS Namboodiripad.
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Kerala’s Continued Influence in CPI-M Leadership
Although Prakash Karat also hails from Kerala, he represented the New Delhi unit during his term as General Secretary. EMS, notably, served multiple terms in leadership within the undivided CPI and later the CPI-M, leading the latter from 1978 to 1991.
CPI-M Central Committee Ratifies Baby’s Appointment
The CPI-M Central Committee, comprising 84 members (with one vacancy), officially ratified Baby’s appointment as General Secretary. The announcement was made during the concluding session of the party congress.
Internal Opposition Emerges from Within the Politburo
Despite the majority’s support, Baby’s appointment faced resistance from five Politburo members, namely Surya Kanta Mishra, Nilotpal Basu, Mohammed Salim, Ramchandra Dome, and Ashok Dhawale. However, Prakash Karat reportedly stood firmly behind Baby’s candidature.
Age Limit Rule Relaxed for Senior Leaders
In a key decision, the party has relaxed its age cap of 75 years, allowing senior leaders like P.K. Sreemathy and Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami to continue on the Central Committee. A similar exception was made for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is 79, to retain his position in the Politburo.
New Politburo Includes Leaders from Multiple States
The newly formed Politburo includes:
- Mariam Dhawale
- Jitendra Chaudhury
- Amra Ram
- Vijoo Krishnan
- Arun Kumar
- Srideep Bhattacharya
- U. Vasuki
- K. Balakrishnan
With Vasuki and Balakrishnan’s inclusion, Tamil Nadu now has two representatives in the Politburo.
Veteran Leaders Become Special Invitees
Outgoing senior leaders like Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, and Manik Sarkar have been appointed as special invitees to the party’s decision-making bodies. Additionally, Rajya Sabha MP and journalist-turned-politician John Brittas has also been inducted into the Central Committee as a special invitee.
Maharashtra Leader D.L. Karad Loses Central Committee Bid
In a closely watched internal contest, D.L. Karad, Maharashtra state president of CITU, ran for a seat in the Central Committee but received only 31 votes. Speaking to the media, Karad clarified that he contested at the behest of colleagues and emphasized that democracy within the party was more important than the result.
