Baby has large issues ahead to tackle
AS he admits, M A Baby has serious challenges ahead to tackle as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Elected as the third Malayalee to hold the top post of the party after EMS and Prakash Karat at the 24th congress in Madurai on Sunday, Baby, speaking at a public meeting organised by the party on the concluding day of its congress, said: “through the introspection and self-analysis made in the 24th party congress we have decided to move towards the masses and learn from them and in turn, to educate them.”
A global perception was created that the world was moving towards the Right, but they failed to notice that about 25% of the world's population lived in countries ruled by Left parties.
“Cuba, Korea, Vietnam, China, Latin American countries and the newly added Sri Lanka were showing how the Left and progressive governments still prevail over the right-wing governments,” Baby observed.
A major challenge before Baby will be handling the dissension within the top brass and among state units and preparing them for the upcoming elections. It is no secret the Bengal unit was not in his favour.
Baby's elevation saw a rare election, which might also point towards a widening fault line within the Communist Party and the dominance of the Kerala lobby.
Pitted against Baby was All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) president Ashok Dhawale. According to a PTI report, party leaders from West Bengal, where the CPI(M) is fighting for political relevance after being in power for decades, backed Dhawale for the post.
Dhawale had initially proposed Bengal leader Md Salim's name for the general secretary's post. However, Salim said he wanted to continue as the secretary for West Bengal. Following this, Dhawale's name was put forward by the other bloc.
The bloc, according to PTI, included Nilotpal Basu, Tapan Sen, Ram Chandra Dome and Md Salim. The Maharashtra unit of the CPI(M) also favoured Dhawale, who is a Politburo member and is involved in the farmers' movements.
According to reports, more than 10 of the 16 Politburo members endorsed Baby's candidature.
According to India Today, back in 1996, when Jyoti Basu was offered the prime ministerial post, the Kerala lobby opposed it, leading Basu to decline the offer. The two factions also differed in 2007 over withdrawing support from Manmohan Singh's Congress-led UPA government.
Though the rivalry isn't new, what is perhaps new is the sheer dominance of the Kerala lobby. The CPI(M) is trying to infuse fresh blood with cautious Baby steps, but questions linger over whether it can unify its fractured ranks before crucial elections in its strongholds.
