The CPI(M) identifies ‘parliamentary aberrations’, failure to toe the mass line, collective functioning as key concerns

CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby. File

“Parliamentary aberration”, failure to implement mass line politics and lack of collective functioning have been identified as the three primary shortcomings to be addressed in the CPI(M)’s “remedial campaign”, party general secretary MA Baby said on Sunday (06 Sep 2026).

He was addressing a press conference at the end of the two-day meeting of the party’s politburo in Delhi. The “correction campaign” comes after the party’s defeat in the Kerala Assembly polls.

“The 24th party convention in Madurai has called for a gradual rectification campaign within the party. As part of this, we have held a discussion. The party has identified parliamentary deviations, failure to follow the mass line by party comrades and problems related to collective functioning. We need to discuss how far each of us is freed from them,” he said.

A Politburo statement issued later said: “The impact of extraneous class influences such as parliamentarism was discussed, along with experience in implementing mass-line politics and measures to strengthen collective functioning at all levels of the party.”

Mr Baby did not explain the term “parliamentary aberration”, saying only that it had “various dimensions”. He elaborated on the need to better connect with people. “We should be with people, learn from them and listen to them,” he said. He added that when senior leadership visits states, they should talk to and listen to comrades after formal committee meetings. Every state committee, he said, would conduct this remedial exercise.

Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, at recent public meetings in Payyannur and Taliparamba in Kannur, blamed treachery, internal sabotage and party workers’ susceptibility to propaganda for the party’s poor performance in these strongholds and elsewhere in the state.

Mr. Baby supported Mr. Vijayan’s stand, saying that if the party decides on a candidate, that person must be supported by all members. Any disagreements should have been raised in party forums, he said.

The Central Committee will meet in New Delhi from October 9 to 11 to discuss and strengthen the report after its deliberations.

Contesting the elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Baby said the CPI(M) would remain committed to its goal of defeating the BJP and its allies. Election strategies have not yet been finalized and would have to be worked out at the state level. “We will explore all options keeping this objective in mind to defeat the BJP and its allies,” he said.

When asked about Rahul Gandhi as a possible prime minister, Mr Baby said the question could only be answered after the next general elections and any speculation would be futile. However, he added, “The Leader of the Opposition naturally has the right (to aspire to the post). But we do not want to engage in hypothetical exercises. Our aim is to see the BJP/RSS fascist regime removed from power. We came close to it last time; if we had been more careful, it could have happened in the last election,” he said now.

Published – 06 Sep 2026 17:37 IST