Mariam Alexander Baby will in all probability be chosen as the General Secretary of the CPI (M) on Sunday. The ongoing 24th Party Congress, a triennial social event of the CPI(M) will conclude at Madurai in Tami Nadu on Sunday and the announcement about Baby’s appointment is expected before a massive public meeting planned to be held in the evening.

Baby (71) - hailing from a Christian family in Kerala’s Kollam district - will be the first minority community member to make it to the top position of the CPI (M) since its formation in 1964. He is also the second leader from Kerala to occupy the chair after EM Sankaran Namboodiripadu.

“It is almost finalised by the party’s central committee and politburo to coronate Baby as the party chief. There is unanimity among leaders about his elevation since Baby is the only leader at this juncture who is capable of standing up to Pinarayi Vijayan’s authoritarian style of functioning,” said G Sakthidharan, a former

editor of CPI (M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani, who was shown the door by Vijayan and his sidekicks.

Baby’s promotion to the top post seems to be party leadership’s way to mend fence with the Church in the State after criminal cases were filed against Joseph Mar Kallarangatt, the Bishop of Pala, for speaking against ‘love jihad’ and ‘narcotics jihad’.

Since Baby has close rapport with the Church, party leadership is of the opinion that Baby can play a major role in bringing the community members to its fold.

The 2024 Lok sabha election saw BJP opening its account in Kerala by winning the Thrissur constituency, which was made possible only because of voting by Christians for Suresh Gopi, fielded by the saffron party.

An axis of former Kerala finance minister Thomas Issac, Rajya Sabha member John Brittas and Baby, all three hailing from the Christian community, were working overtime to clip the wings of Vijayan. Since there are no other known faces in the CPI(M)  who could be projected as a national leader, lady luck smiled on Baby who is known for his vast friendship in countries like Cuba, China, West Asia and Palestine.

The Party Congress expressing solidarity with Cuba and the entire party leadership making an appearance draped in keffiyehs marked that the equilibrium of power has shifted to  Baby and his coterie.

Though Vijayan had reservations against Baby’s candidature for the top post in the party, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) under the Finance Ministry filing a charge sheet in a Kerala court indicting the former’s daughter Veena Mohammed Riyaz for accepting payment from CMRL, a Kochi based sand mining company , has weakened his pre-eminent position in the party.  

The  party has made it known that though it has no love lost for the Indian National Congress, the party firmly believes that Sanatanis in the country could be eliminated only with the help of the GOP. Prakash Karat, the coordinator of the polit bureau, issued stern warning to U S President Donald President, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Narendra Modi for their stance against Islam and Islamic countries.

“I am sure Trump and Netanyahu have been jolted by the resolution passed at Madura. Modi is already scared of the CPI(M),” said A Jayashankar, a keen CPI(M) watcher.