Race for the top job in CPI(M) has begun days ahead of the demise of Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the party. M A Baby, the polit bureau member from Kerala is the front runner for the post as he has set his eyes on the post of general secretary.

Baby, who had won the assembly election once from Kerala and became the education minister in the government led by E K Nayanar was addressed as the Second Mundassery as he had tried to replicate the reforms initiated by the first education minister of the State Prof Joseph Mundassery (1957-1959).

“While Joseph Mundassery revolutionized the education sector in Kerala, Baby could not make any impact other than making things worse,” said A Jayasankar, Kerala’s veteran political critic. Baby is known more as Prakkulam Che Guevera (Prakkulam being the village where he was born and Guevera, his God). 

P Sujathan, a close observer of the CPI(M) politics, is of the view that it would be a tough job for the CPI(M) to find out an alternative to Yechury. “Sitaram Yechury is known for his articulation, communication skills and was a master strategist. The truth is that there is no one in the party who could take up the position held by him,” said Sujathan.

The names being heard are that of Brinda Karat and Prakash Karat. “The latter may continue till the next party congress scheduled for April-May 2025 and then make way for a  new person. We do not know how the Marxists will view the possibility of Brinda Karat becoming the party boss,” said Sujathan.

The death of Yechury comes at a time when the CPI(M) is facing severe crisis in Kerala, the one and only State which is ruled by the party. There is a strong move in the party ousting Pinarayi Vijayan from the Chief Minister’s post and it is widely believed that Baby is the main force behind this mission. Hence the chances of Vijayan and his cohorts supporting Baby for the job look bleak.

The names of Mohammed Salim , the Bengal State secretary and Surjya Kant Mishra are also in circulation.  Salim being a member of the minority community has better prospectus than others because of his standing in the party. The truth is that there are no other members in the party’s polit bureau who has wider acceptability among the cadre.