The Wire Staff 
Chennai: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) on Monday (April 7) concluded its 24th party congress in Madurai, marking a moment of generational transition. The five-day session brought together hundreds of delegates from across the country and culminated in the election of a new central committee, a revised polit bureau, and the adoption of key political and organisational resolutions.
A major outcome of the congress was the election of M.A. Baby as the new general secretary of the CPI(M), succeeding Sitaram Yechury. With this, the party also witnessed a broader leadership shift as long-time leaders Prakash Karat and Brinda Karat stepped down from decision-making roles. While both remain part of the party’s extended leadership as special invitees to the central committee, their move signifies a transition to a new generation of leaders.
Newly-elected general secretary of CPI(M) M.A. Baby being felicitated during a ceremony. Photo: PTI
A former Rajya Sabha MP and Kerala state minister, Baby is regarded as a staunch ideologue with deep roots in the party’s cultural and educational outreach. His appointment signals both continuity and a possible generational shift, as the CPI(M) seeks to reinvent its relevance in contemporary Indian politics without ‘diluting its ideological commitments’.
The Madurai congress also witnessed a sharpened critique of the Modi government’s policies, accusing it of “undermining democracy, institutional autonomy, and constitutional values.” The political resolution denounced what it termed the “corporate-communal nexus,” alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had facilitated massive wealth accumulation for a handful of industrialists while promoting religious polarisation to distract the public.
In response, the party resolved to intensify work among Dalits and other marginalised communities, and called for a national campaign in support of caste census, reservations in the private sector, and the dismantling of the “graded inequalities” embedded in Indian society.
The congress unanimously adopted the draft political resolution on April 4 following two days of deliberations. Discussions began on April 3, with 53 delegates participating and 174 amendments submitted. Prakash Karat, who coordinated the discussions for the polit bureau, addressed the suggestions and criticisms offered by delegates. The resolution reaffirms the CPI(M)’s opposition to communalism, centralisation, and neoliberal economic policies, and emphasises the need for broad democratic unity to defend constitutional rights and federalism.
Also read: M.A. Baby is CPI(M)’s New General Secretary; Prakash and Brinda Karat Step Down From Polit Bureau
The congress took place in the context of a challenging national political environment. The BJP has returned to power for a third consecutive term in the recently concluded general elections, intensifying debates within opposition parties about their future strategies. For the CPI(M), the congress was an opportunity to reassess its role and methods in the face of this political reality. While the party retains influence in states like Kerala, its national presence has declined over the past decade. The Madurai congress acknowledged the need for reinvention – not in ideology, but in outreach, alliances, and organisational strength. This includes greater engagement with youth, marginalised communities, and issue-based movements.
B.V. Raghavulu, polit bureau member, presented the draft organisational report, outlining the party’s activities since the last congress and highlighting areas for improvement. The report detailed the CPI(M)’s participation in mass struggles, including campaigns led by central trade unions, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, and state-level movements for land rights, housing, and employment. In Kerala, the party led campaigns against Union government policies. In West Bengal, youth mobilised around unemployment, while in Tripura, the CPI(M) opposed political violence and campaigned on civil liberties.
The report also covered the party’s involvement in protests against gender-based violence, particularly in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. It noted steady growth in membership, from 9,85,757 in 2021 to 10,19,009 in 2024. The percentage of women members rose from 18.2% to 20.2%, and youth membership increased from 19.5% to 22.6%. Working-class representation remained strong, with 48.25% of members drawn from this group, 17.79% from agricultural labourers, and 9.93% from poor peasants – totalling nearly 76% from basic classes. Membership across mass organisations rose by 6.4 million.
The congress adopted resolutions on various national and international issues. These included a demand for the withdrawal of the Waqf Amendment Act, a call to restore full statehood and democratic rights to Jammu and Kashmir, and a resolution expressing solidarity with Cuba while condemning the US economic blockade. Other resolutions addressed agricultural policy, recognising basic needs as fundamental rights, extending reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs to the private sector, and opposing privatisation in the electricity sector.
Additional resolutions focused on opposing deep-sea mining, addressing violence against women and children, combating drug addiction among youth, ensuring rights and dignity for LGBTQ+ individuals, securing justice for persons with disabilities, and rejecting the UGC’s proposed regulatory framework.
The new central committee includes experienced leaders such as Pinarayi Vijayan, B.V. Raghavulu, Tapan Sen, Mohammad Salim, Ramchandra Dome, and K.K. Shailaja. The new additions also include Anurag Saxena, Vinod Nikole, Meenakshi Mukherjee, and John Wesley, among others, reflecting an effort to bring regional and generational diversity into the leadership.
The newly elected 18-member polit bureau comprises Vijayan, Baby, Raghavulu, Sen, Nilotpal Basu, A. Vijayaraghavan, Salim, Ashok Dhawale, Dome, M.V. Govindan, Jitendra Choudhury, K. Balakrishnan, U. Vasuki, Amra Ram, Srideep Bhattacharya, Vijoo Krishnan, Mariam Dhawale, and R. Arun Kumar.
The central control commission, elected by the congress, includes G. Ramakrishnan, M. Vijayakumar, U. Basavaraju, Rabin Deb, Jogendra Sharma, and Rama Das. G. Ramakrishnan was chosen as chairperson.
Also read: CPI(M) Calls for Revival and Resistance Against Hindutva, Neo-Liberalism at 24th Party Congress
At a public meeting on the concluding day, newly elected CPI(M) general secretary Baby acknowledged the Left’s decline in India but vowed to reconnect with the masses and learn from them. Emphasising the global presence of Left-led governments, he dismissed the narrative of a rightward global shift.
Kerala chief minister Vijayan accused the BJP government at the Centre of divisive policies, citing the Waqf (Amendment) Act and censorship of Malayalam film Empuraan, while asserting that targeting Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) governments was an attack on the people of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Senior leader Brinda Karat invoked the legacy of communist martyrs and wore the kaffiyeh in solidarity with Palestine, asserting the party’s defiance in the face of authoritarianism. The event began with a march led by Vachathi fighters and paid homage to historical struggles like Keezhvenmani.
The Madurai congress represented both continuity and change for the CPI(M). While reaffirming its ideological principles, the party acknowledged the urgent need to adapt its organisational strategies to contemporary challenges. With the BJP securing a third term, the political landscape poses formidable challenges for left and secular forces. The CPI(M), sources say, hopes to position itself as a consistent voice for democratic rights, economic justice, and federalism. Whether this renewed direction will translate into greater political influence remains to be seen, but the decisions made in Madurai aim to lay the groundwork for such a shift.