M.A. Baby Takes Over as New CPI-M General Secretary; Prakash and Brinda Karat Depart from Politburo

Chennai, April 6 (NationPress) The 24th Party Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) concluded in Madurai on Sunday, signifying a notable shift in leadership. Senior party figure and Politburo member M.A. Baby has been designated as the new General Secretary of the CPI-M, making him the second leader from the Kerala unit to assume the party's highest organizational position, following E.M.S. Namboodiripad.

The decision was announced after the CPI-M Central Committee, consisting of 84 members with one seat vacant, approved Baby’s nomination. Veteran leaders Prakash Karat and Brinda Karat have resigned from the Politburo upon reaching the party's upper age threshold of 75.

Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar also left the Politburo for the same reason.

Nonetheless, all three leaders—Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, and Manik Sarkar—will remain part of the Central Committee as special invitees, thereby maintaining their influence in the party’s crucial decision-making.

M.A. Baby, who recently turned 72, is recognized as the most senior CPI-M leader from Kerala after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

His political career commenced with the Kerala Students Federation (KSF), a precursor to the Students Federation of India (SFI). He later served as the national president of the SFI and held significant roles within the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

Baby represented the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1998 and later held the Kundara constituency seat in the Kerala Legislative Assembly for two terms (2006–2016). He also acted as the state’s Education Minister from 2006 to 2011 and has been a Politburo member since 2012.

His rise to General Secretary represents a rare moment in CPI-M's history, with only E.M.S. Namboodiripad having previously held this position from Kerala. EMS initially served as the acting General Secretary of the undivided CPI in the early 1950s before becoming General Secretary of CPI-M from 1978 to 1991.

Party sources indicated that Baby's appointment was not without contention.

Five of the 16-member Politburo—Surya Kanta Mishra, Nilotpal Basu, Mohammed Salim, Ramchandra Dome (all from West Bengal), and Ashok Dhawale (Maharashtra)—reportedly opposed the decision.

However, former General Secretary Prakash Karat endorsed Baby for the role, which was ultimately approved by the Central Committee.

Notably, the party has eased its age limit rule to allow P.K. Sreemathy and Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami to retain their positions in the Central Committee.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, now 79, was also granted a special extension to remain in the committee.

The newly constituted Politburo features fresh names such as Mariam Dhawale, Jitendra Chaudhury, Amra Ram, Vijoo Krishnan, Arun Kumar, Srideep Bhattacharya, U. Vasuki, and K. Balakrishnan.

With the addition of Vasuki and Balakrishnan, the host state Tamil Nadu now has two representatives in the CPI-M Politburo. Interestingly, journalist-turned-politician and Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has been appointed as a special invitee to the Central Committee.

Meanwhile, senior leader from Maharashtra and state CITU president, Dr. D.L. Karad, ran for a position in the Central Committee but garnered only 31 votes.

Dr. Karad addressed the media, stating he contested at the request of his colleagues from Maharashtra and emphasized that the outcome was “immaterial” as the process was democratic. The 24th Party Congress represented a pivotal moment for the CPI(M) as it navigates generational shifts while addressing ideological and strategic challenges ahead.