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Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

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.

History

Throughout its history, the Politburo has experienced periods of dissent and factionalism, resulting in internal crackdowns and purges. For instance, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, a co-founder of CPI(M) and four-term general secretary, conducted a series of purges within the Politburo and the Central Committee, to combat 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 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]

No. Portrait Name State From (Year)
1 M. A. Baby
(General Secretary) 		Kerala 2012
2 Pinarayi Vijayan Kerala 2002
3 B. V. Raghavulu Andhra Pradesh 2005
4 Tapan Sen West Bengal 2018
5 Nilotpal Basu West Bengal 2018
6 A. Vijayaraghavan Kerala 2022
7 Mohammed Salim West Bengal 2015
8 Ashok Dhawale Maharashtra 2022
9 Ram Chandra Dome West Bengal 2022
10 M. V. Govindan Kerala 2022
11 Jitendra Choudhury Tripura 2025
12 K. Balakrishnan Tamil Nadu 2025
13 U. Vasuki Tamil Nadu 2025
14 Amra Ram Rajasthan 2025
15 Srideep Bhattacharya West Bengal 2025
16 Vijoo Krishnan Kerala 2025
17 Mariam Dhawale Maharashtra 2025
18 R. Arun Kumar Andhra Pradesh 2025

List of Party Congresses

Congress Date Location Elected Secretary Ref.
24th 2 – 6 April 2025 Madurai, Tamil Nadu M. A. Baby [4]
23rd 6 – 10 April 2022 Kannur, Kerala Sitaram Yechury [8][9]
22rd 18 – 22 April 2018 Hyderabad, Telangana Sitaram Yechury [10]
21st April 2015 Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh Sitaram Yechury [11]
20th April 2012 Calicut, Kerala Prakash Karat [citation needed]
19th 29 March – 3 April 2008 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Prakash Karat [12]
18th 6 – 11 April 2005 New Delhi, Delhi Prakash Karat [12][13]
17th 19 – 24 March 2002 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Harkishan Singh Surjeet [12]
16th 5 – 11 October 1998 Calcutta, West Bengal Harkishan Singh Surjeet [12]
15th 3 – 8 April 1995 Chandigarh, Punjab Harkishan Singh Surjeet [12]
14th 3 – 9 January 1992 Madras, Tamil Nadu Harkishan Singh Surjeet [12]
13th 27 December 1988 - 1 January 1989 Trivandrum, Kerala E. M. S. Namboodiripad [12]
12th 25 – 29 December 1985 Calcutta, West Bengal E. M. S. Namboodiripad [12]
11th 26 – 31 January 1982 Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh E. M. S. Namboodiripad [12]
10th 2 – 8 April 1978 Jalandar, Punjab E. M. S. Namboodiripad [14][12]
9th 27 June – 2 July 1972 Madurai, Tamil Nadu Puchalapalli Sundarayya [12]
8th 23 – 29 December 1968 Cochin, Kerala Puchalapalli Sundarayya [12]
7th 31 October – 7 November 1964 Calcutta, West Bengal Puchalapalli Sundarayya [12]

List of Past Politburo Members

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][15]

8th Politburo

The 8th Politburo was elected at the 8th party congress of CPI(M), held in Kochi from 23–29 December 1968.[12][16]

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][17]

10th Politburo

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

12th Politburo

The 12th Politburo was elected at the 12th party congress of CPI(M), held in Calcutta from 25–29 December 1985.[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][18]

14th Politburo

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

16th Politburo

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

17th Politburo

The 17th Politburo was elected at the 18th party congress of CPI(M), held in Hyderabad from 19–24 March 2002.[12]

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]

19th Politburo

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

20th Politburo

The 20th Politburo was elected at the 20th party congress of CPI(M), held in Calicut in April 2012.[21][22][23]

21st Politburo

The 21st Politburo was elected at the 21st party congress of CPI(M), held in Visakhapatnam in April 2015.[24][25][26]

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 are 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.[27]

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.[28][8][9] Ram Chandra Dome became the first Dalit leader to be inducted into the Politburo, marking a historic milestone.[29][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Brass, Paul R; Franda, Marcus F (1973). Radical Politics in South Asia. MIT Press. ISBN 9780262020992.
  2. ^ a b "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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b S, Anil (7 April 2025). "MA Baby is new CPM boss". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 8 April 2025.
  6. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "Yechury re-elected CPI(M) general secy for third term". Hindustan Times. 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Members of PB – 7th to 19th Congress". Communist Party of India (Marxist).
  13. ^ a b "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. ^ The Seventh Party Congress: The Formation of CPI(M)
  16. ^ "The First CPI(M) Party Congress in Unified Kerala: The Eighth Party Congress".
  17. ^ "The Ninth Party Congress: A Struggle Against Persecution".
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ a b "Basu, Surjeet not in politburo; Karat re-elected".
  20. ^ Jayanth Jacob (12 July 2009). "Kerala CM removed from politburo". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  21. ^ "New Central Committee Elected at the 20th Congress". 9 April 2012.
  22. ^ "Prakash Karat gets another term as CPM general secretary". The Economic Times. 10 April 2012.
  23. ^ https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/karat-re-elected-cpi-m-general-secretary-for-third-term/cid/429324
  24. ^ "Explained: 21, the big one". 16 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016.
  25. ^ "Central Committee Elected at the 21st Congress | Peoples Democracy".
  26. ^ "Sitaram Yechury elected as new CPM chief".
  27. ^ "Full list: CPI(M) newly elected central committee and politburo members". 22 April 2018. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024.
  28. ^ "Central Committee Elected at the 23rd Congress". Communist Party of India (Marxist).
  29. ^ "Great responsibility, says Ram Chandra Dome, first Dalit face in CPI(M) politburo". Deccan Herald. 10 April 2022.
  30. ^ "Indian communist leader Sitaram Yechury dies after illness". BBC. 12 September 2024. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024.
  31. ^ "Prakash Karat to be interim leader of CPI(M)". The Hindu. 29 September 2024.
  32. ^ Narayan, Pushpa (1 October 2022). "Kodiyeri Balakrishnan dies in Chennai hospital". The Times of India.
  33. ^ "CPM state secretary MV Govindan inducted into Politburo". The New Indian Express. 31 October 2022. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022.