Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

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Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Overview
TypeExecutive Authority
Elected byCentral Committee which is elected in the Party Congress
Length of termThree years
History
Establishedby 7th Party Congress on 7 November 1964;60 years ago (1964-11-07)
Leadership
General Secretary M. A. Baby
Executive organCentral Secretariat
Members
Total18
Elections
Last election6 April 2025
Meeting place
A.K. Gopalan Bhawan, New Delhi

The Politburo, also known as the Polit Bureau or the Political Bureau, is the executive authority of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). Its members are elected by the Central Committee, which is in turn elected at the Party Congress, typically convened every three years.

Contents

History

Throughout its history, the Politburo has experienced periods of dissent, ideological tensions, and factionalism, which have, at times, resulted in internal crackdowns. For instance, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, a co-founder of CPI(M) and general secretary from 1978 to 1992, conducted some expulsions within the Politburo and the Central Committee, to combat those engaging in revisionism as well as those affected by supposed "bourgeois parliamentary mentality." [1]

Functions and composition

Elections

The All-India Party Congress, typically convened every three years, serves as the supreme authority of the CPI(M). Between sessions of the Party Congress, the Central Committee functions as the highest decision-making body. The Central Committee elects a Politburo from among its members, including the General Secretary, who is the party's principal leader. [2]

Functions

The Politburo functions as the executive body responsible for carrying out the work of the Central Committee between its sessions. It has the authority to make political and organisational decisions in the period between two meetings of the Central Committee. Additionally, the Politburo oversees the Central Secretariat, which manages the party's day-to-day operations and assists in the implementation of decisions taken by the Central Committee. [2]

Current Politburo Members

The 24th Politburo was elected at the 24th Party Congress, held in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, from 2 to 6 April 2025. [3] M. A. Baby was elected as general secretary of CPI(M). [4] [5] Jitendra Chaudhury became the first-ever Adivasi member of the Politburo. [6] [7] The 24th Politburo saw eight new members introduced, with six members stepping down. [5] [6]

PortraitNameNote
Ma Baby 2022 (cropped).jpg M. A. Baby General Secretary
Member of Central Secretariat
Former Minister for Education and Culture in Kerala
Former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
BV Raghavulu in 2025.jpg B. V. Raghavulu Member of Central Secretariat
Former Andhra Pradesh State Secretary
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan 2023.tif Pinarayi Vijayan Member of Kerala State Secretariat
Chief Minister of Kerala
Tapan Kumar Sen.png Tapan Sen CITU General Secretary
Former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Nilotpal Basu.png Nilotpal Basu Former SFI General Secretary
Former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
A.vijayaraghavan4.jpg A. Vijayaraghavan AIAWU President
Former LDF Convenor
Former Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
AXfLSVpW 400x400.jpg Mohammed Salim West Bengal State Secretary
Former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Former Minister for Technical Education and Training, Youth Welfare, Minority Development and Welfare, Self Employment in West Bengal
Former Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Ashok Dhawale.png Ashok Dhawale AIKS President
Former Maharashtra State Secretary
RC Dome CPIM.jpg Ram Chandra Dome Member of West Bengal State Secretariat
Former Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
M. V. Govindan Master 01 4.jpg M. V. Govindan Kerala State Secretary
Member of Legislative Assembly, Kerala
Former Minister for Local Self Governments and Excise in Kerala
A delegation from Tripura led by Shri Jitendra Chaudhury, MP (Lok Sabha), calling on the Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, in New Delhi on Thursday, November 24, 2016 (cropped).jpg Jitendra Choudhury Tripura State Secretary
Leader of Opposition in Tripura Legislative Assembly
Former Minister of Forest and Industry, Commerce, Sports in Tripura
Former Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
K Balakrishnan Speech Venmani 2018 (cropped).jpg K. Balakrishnan Former Tamil Nadu State Secretary
Former Member of Legislative Assembly, Tamil Nadu
U.Vasuki CPIM.jpg U. Vasuki AIDWA Vice President
Amra Ram.jpg Amra Ram AIKS Vice President
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Former Member of Legislative Assembly, Rajasthan
Srideep Bhattacharya.jpg Srideep Bhattacharya Member of West Bengal State Secretariat
Vijoo Krishnan.jpg Vijoo Krishnan AIKS General Secretary
Mariam Dhawale (cropped).jpg Mariam Dhawale AIDWA General Secretary
R. Arun Kumar CPI(M) (cropped).jpg R. Arun KumarFormer SFI President

List of Party Congresses

CongressDateLocationElected SecretaryRef.
24th2 – 6 April 2025 Madurai, Tamil Nadu M. A. Baby [4]
23rd6 – 10 April 2022 Kannur, Kerala Sitaram Yechury [8] [9]
22rd18 – 22 April 2018 Hyderabad, Telangana Sitaram Yechury [10]
21stApril 2015 Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh Sitaram Yechury [11]
20thApril 2012 Calicut, Kerala Prakash Karat [ citation needed ]
19th29 March – 3 April 2008 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Prakash Karat [12]
18th6 – 11 April 2005 New Delhi, Delhi Prakash Karat [12] [13]
17th19 – 24 March 2002 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Harkishan Singh Surjeet [12]
16th5 – 11 October 1998 Calcutta, West Bengal Harkishan Singh Surjeet [12]
15th3 – 8 April 1995 Chandigarh, Punjab Harkishan Singh Surjeet [12]
14th3 – 9 January 1992 Madras, Tamil Nadu Harkishan Singh Surjeet [12]
13th27 December 1988 - 1 January 1989 Trivandrum, Kerala E. M. S. Namboodiripad [12]
12th25 – 29 December 1985 Calcutta, West Bengal E. M. S. Namboodiripad [12]
11th26 – 31 January 1982 Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh E. M. S. Namboodiripad [12]
10th2 – 8 April 1978 Jalandar, Punjab E. M. S. Namboodiripad [14] [12]
9th27 June – 2 July 1972 Madurai, Tamil Nadu Puchalapalli Sundarayya [12]
8th23 – 29 December 1968 Cochin, Kerala Puchalapalli Sundarayya [12]
7th31 October – 7 November 1964 Calcutta, West Bengal Puchalapalli Sundarayya [12]

List of Past Politburo Members

23rd Politburo

23rd Party Congress
Date: 6 – 10 April 2022
Venue: Kannur, Kerala

A 17-member Politburo was elected by the Central Committee with Sitaram Yechury as the General Secretary for the third consecutive time. [15] [8] [9] Ram Chandra Dome became the first Dalit leader to be inducted into the Politburo, marking a historic milestone. [16] [9]

22nd Politburo

The 22nd Congress of the CPI(M) held between 18 and 22 April 2018 at Hyderabad, Telangana elected a 95-member Central Committee. There were also six special invitees and two permanent invitees to the Central Committee. The Central Committee at its meeting held on 22 April 2018 at the conclusion of the Congress elected a 17-member Politburo. The C.C. also re-elected Com. Sitaram Yechury as the General Secretary. [21]

21st Politburo

The 21st Politburo was elected at the 21st party congress of CPI(M), held in Visakhapatnam in April 2015. [22] [23] [24]

20th Politburo

The 20th Politburo was elected at the 20th party congress of CPI(M), held in Calicut in April 2012. [25] [26] [27]

19th Politburo

The 19th Politburo was elected at the 19th party congress of CPI(M), held in Coimbatore from 29 March – 3 April 2008. [28] Former Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu was designated as a special invitee to the Politburo. [28]

18th Politburo

The 18th Politburo was elected at the 18th party congress of CPI(M), held in Delhi from 6–11 April 2005. [13] [12]

17th Politburo

The 17th Politburo was elected at the 17th party congress of CPI(M), held in Hyderabad from 19–24 March 2002. [12]

16th Politburo

The 16th Politburo was elected at the 16th party congress of CPI(M), held in Calcutta from 5–11 October 1998. [12]

15th Politburo

The 15th Politburo was elected at the 15th party congress of CPI(M), held in Chandigarh from 3–8 April 1995. [12]

14th Politburo

The 14th Politburo was elected at the 14th party congress of CPI(M), held in Madras from 3–9 January 1992. [12]

13th Politburo

The 13th Politburo was elected at the 13th party congress of CPI(M), held in Trivandrum from 27 December 1988 to 1 January 1989. [12] [30]

12th Politburo

The 12th Politburo was elected at the 12th party congress of CPI(M), held in Calcutta from 25–29 December 1985. [12]

11th Politburo

The 11th Politburo was elected at the 11th party congress of CPI(M), held in Vijayawada from 26–31 January 1982. [12]

10th Politburo

The 10th Politburo was elected at the 10th party congress of CPI(M), held in Jalandhar from 2–8 April 1978. [12]

9th Politburo

The 9th Politburo was elected at the 10th party congress of CPI(M), held in Madurai from 27 June – 2 July 1972. [12] [31]

8th Politburo

The 8th Politburo was elected at the 8th party congress of CPI(M), held in Kochi from 23–29 December 1968. [12] [32]

7th Politburo

The 7th Politburo was elected at the 7th Party Congress of CPI(M) held in Calcutta from 31 October – 7 November 1964. It was the first Party Congress after the CPI(M) emerged from a split from the Communist Party of India in 1964. [12] [33]

See also

References

    1. ↑ Brass, Paul R; Franda, Marcus F (1973). Radical Politics in South Asia. MIT Press. p. 177. ISBN   9780262020992.
    2. 1 2 "Party Constitution | Communist Party of India (Marxist)". 18 March 2009. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020.
    3. ↑ "CPI(M) launches website ahead of 24th party congress to be held in April". The Hindu . 4 March 2025. Archived from the original on 4 March 2025.
    4. 1 2 Rajasekaran, Ilangovan (7 April 2025). "CPI(M) elects M.A. Baby as its new general secretary at the 24th Party Congress". Frontline . Archived from the original on 7 April 2025.
    5. 1 2 S, Anil (7 April 2025). "MA Baby is new CPM boss". The New Indian Express . Archived from the original on 8 April 2025.
    6. 1 2 Deb, Debraj (6 April 2025). "Jitendra Chaudhary becomes CPI(M) politburo member; new faces from Tripura in party's central committee". The Indian Express . Archived from the original on 6 April 2025.
    7. ↑ Henry, Nikhila (16 April 2025). "How CPI(M) Politburo rejigs point to winds of change: Ramchandra Dome to Jitendra Chaudhury". The Indian Express .
    8. 1 2 "Yechury re-elected CPI(M) general secy for third term". Hindustan Times . 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022.
    9. 1 2 3 "Yechury elected general secretary for 3rd term; 1st Dalit in CPM's politburo". The Times of India . 11 April 2022.
    10. ↑ "Full list: CPI(M) newly elected central committee and politburo members". The Indian Express . 22 April 2018. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018.
    11. ↑ "Sitaram Yechury elected as new CPM chief". Business Standard . 20 April 2015.
    12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Members of PB – 7th to 19th Congress". Communist Party of India (Marxist) .
    13. 1 2 "Prakash Karat takes over CPI(M) reins". The Times of India. 11 April 2005.
    14. ↑ Nossiter, Thomas Johnson (1982). Communism in Kerala: A Study in Political Adaptation. C. Hurst for the Royal Institute of International Affairs. ISBN   9780905838403.
    15. ↑ "New Central Committee & Central Control Commission Elected at the 23rd Congress". Communist Party of India (Marxist) .
    16. ↑ "Great responsibility, says Ram Chandra Dome, first Dalit face in CPI(M) politburo". Deccan Herald . 10 April 2022.
    17. ↑ "Indian communist leader Sitaram Yechury dies after illness". BBC . 12 September 2024. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024.
    18. ↑ "Prakash Karat to be interim leader of CPI(M)". The Hindu . 29 September 2024.
    19. ↑ Narayan, Pushpa (1 October 2022). "Kodiyeri Balakrishnan dies in Chennai hospital". The Times of India .
    20. ↑ "CPM state secretary MV Govindan inducted into Politburo". The New Indian Express . 31 October 2022. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022.
    21. ↑ "Full list: CPI(M) newly elected central committee and politburo members". 22 April 2018. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024.
    22. ↑ "Explained: 21, the big one". 16 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016.
    23. ↑ "Central Committee Elected at the 21st Congress | Peoples Democracy".
    24. ↑ "Sitaram Yechury elected as new CPM chief".
    25. ↑ "New Central Committee Elected at the 20th Congress". 9 April 2012.
    26. ↑ "Prakash Karat gets another term as CPM general secretary". The Economic Times. 10 April 2012.
    27. ↑ https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/karat-re-elected-cpi-m-general-secretary-for-third-term/cid/429324
    28. 1 2 "Basu, Surjeet not in politburo; Karat re-elected".
    29. ↑ Jayanth Jacob (12 July 2009). "Kerala CM removed from politburo". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
    30. ↑ Sreedhar Pillai (31 January 1989). "Vote for continuity: 13th party congress of CPI(M) in Trivandrum one of the most significant in its history" Archived 23 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine . India Today. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
    31. ↑ "The Ninth Party Congress: A Struggle Against Persecution".
    32. ↑ "The First CPI(M) Party Congress in Unified Kerala: The Eighth Party Congress".
    33. ↑ The Seventh Party Congress: The Formation of CPI(M)
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