MA Baby has been elected the new General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The announcement came at the party’s 24th All India Conference held in Madurai on Sunday.
A former Education Minister in Kerala, MA Baby replaces Sitaram Yechury, who passed away last year. The new Central Committee, chosen at the Congress, includes 85 members, with one vacancy. The CPI(M) stated that 20 per cent of the committee members are women.
An 18-member Polit Bureau was also elected. This body chose MA Baby as the new General Secretary. The party confirmed the decision on X.
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MA Baby, formally known as Mariam Alexander Baby, served as a Rajya Sabha MP for the CPI(M) between 1986 and 1998. He is a senior figure in the party, with decades of political experience.
The post of General Secretary had remained vacant after Sitaram Yechury’s death. Prakash Karat held the position of interim coordinator in the meantime.
Yechury died on 12 September at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi. He had been suffering from a respiratory infection. Known for his sharp intellect and political tact, Yechury had built strong ties across party lines. His parliamentary skills were widely respected.
He joined the CPI(M) in 1975. During the Emergency, he was arrested for his political activities. Yechury rose steadily through the party ranks. He joined the Central Committee in 1985, the Secretariat in 1989, and the Polit Bureau in 1992.
In 2015, Yechury was elected as the party’s General Secretary at its 21st Congress. He held the position until his death.
Yechury also served in the Rajya Sabha for two terms, from 2005 to 2017. He was recognised as a strong parliamentarian and received the Best Parliamentarian award in 2017.
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