MA Baby elected CPI(M) sixth general secretary

Author : Jnanaloka Published : April 06, 2025

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The Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM elected M.A. Baby (Mariam Alexander Baby) as its new General Secretary on April 6, 2025, during the party’s 24th Congress held in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. He is the sixth General Secretary of the CPM and the second leader from Kerala to hold this position (the first being E.M.S. Namboodiripad). Below are the full details:

MA Baby elected CPI(M) sixth general secretary

Full Details:

1. Name Mariam Alexander Baby (commonly known as M.A. Baby)

2. Born: April 5, 1954, in Prakkulam, Kollam District, Kerala

3. Parents: P.M. Alexander and Lilly Alexander

4. Education: 

   - Primary Education: Prakkulam Lower Primary School

   - High School: NSS High School, Prakkulam

   - College: S.N. College, Kollam (studied Political Science but did not complete the degree)

5. Political Career:

   - Began his political journey with the Kerala Students Federation (a precursor to SFI - Students’ Federation of India).

   - Later joined the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of CPM.

   - Served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 1986 to 1998.

   - Was Kerala’s Education Minister from 2006 to 2011, introducing reforms like the single-window admission system for higher secondary education and a grading system.

   - Elected as an MLA from Kundara in 2011.

   - Contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Kollam but lost.

6. Current Position,:

   - Elected as CPM General Secretary on April 6, 2025. He is also the first leader from a minority community to hold this post.

   - His candidacy was proposed by Prakash Karat and supported by senior leaders, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

7. Personal Life:

   - M.A. Baby is unmarried and has dedicated his life to the party.

8. Notable Contributions:

   - Played a key role in initiating the Kochi Biennale in Kerala.

   - Known as the cultural face of CPM due to his long association with the party and its cultural initiatives.

   - Despite the party’s 75-year age limit for leadership roles, he was chosen at the age of 70.

Party Structure Updates:

- Politburo: A new 18-member Politburo was elected, including newcomers like U. Vasuki, Viju Krishnan, Mariam Dhawale, Sreedeep Bhattacharya, Amra Ram, and K. Balakrishnan. Senior leaders like Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, and Manik Sarkar were named special invitees.

- An 84-member Central Committee was formed (with one vacancy remaining).

 Background:

M.A. Baby’s election follows the demise of the previous General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury, on September 12, 2024. Prakash Karat served as a temporary coordinator after Yechury’s death. Baby’s appointment signals a generational shift in the party, and as a prominent leader from Kerala—where CPM has a strong base—he is expected to revitalize the party’s influence.