CPI-M Appoints M.A. Baby as New General Secretary
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Synopsis
M.A. Baby has been elected as the new General Secretary of CPI-M during the 24th Congress in Madurai. He is the second leader from Kerala to hold this position, facing some opposition yet receiving strong backing from Prakash Karat.
Key Takeaways
- M.A. Baby becomes the new General Secretary of CPI-M.
- He is the second leader from Kerala in this role.
- The Central Committee officially ratified his appointment.
- There was some internal opposition against his elevation.
- Age limit relaxed for senior CPI-M leaders.
Chennai, April 6 (NationPress) Senior CPI-M leader and Politburo member M.A. Baby has been appointed as the new General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) during the party’s 24th Congress, currently happening in Madurai.
The Politburo has endorsed the recommendation for Baby’s promotion, making him the second leader from Kerala to assume this role, succeeding the iconic EMS Namboodiripad.
While former General Secretary Prakash Karat also comes from Kerala, he represented the party’s New Delhi unit during his tenure.
EMS Namboodiripad previously served as the acting General Secretary of the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1953–54 and 1955–56, and later led the CPI(M) from 1978 to 1991.
The Central Committee of the CPI-M, comprising 84 members (with one position currently unfilled), has officially confirmed Baby’s appointment. This announcement was made during the final days of the congress.
M.A. Baby, who celebrated his 72nd birthday on April 5, is the most senior CPI-M leader from Kerala following Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. However, his selection faced some opposition.
Reports indicate that five members of the Politburo were against his promotion. This group included West Bengal leaders Surya Kanta Mishra, Nilotpal Basu, Mohammed Salim, and Ramchandra Dome, along with Ashok Dhawale from Maharashtra.
Despite the internal disagreements, Prakash Karat reportedly supported only M.A. Baby for the position of General Secretary.
In a notable change, the party has also eased the age limit from 75 to enable senior leaders P.K. Sreemathy and Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami to remain active in the Central Committee.
A similar extension was granted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is currently 79 years old, allowing him to stay on in the Politburo.
The newly formed Politburo features Mariam Dhawale, Jitendra Chaudhury, Amra Ram, Vijoo Krishnan, Arun Kumar, Srideep Bhattacharya, U. Vasuki, and K. Balakrishnan.
With the addition of Vasuki and Balakrishnan, Tamil Nadu now boasts two representatives in the Politburo. Several outgoing members, including Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, and Manik Sarkar, have been designated as special invitees.
In a noteworthy development, journalist-turned-politician and Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has also been welcomed into the Central Committee as a special invitee.
Meanwhile, senior leader from Maharashtra, D.L. Karad, who heads the state CITU, contested for a seat in the Central Committee but received only 31 votes.
Speaking to the press, Karad stated that he ran for the position at the request of colleagues who desired a democratic election, emphasizing that the result was not his primary concern.
