M A Baby admits to differences in I.N.D.I.A. bloc, hopes grouping will overcome problems

Madurai: There are problems in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, newly-elected CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby admitted on Sunday but also expressed hope that the grouping would be able to overcome those differences.

He also took a jibe at Narendra Modi, saying the prime minister -- by repeatedly attacking the opposition parties -- was contributing to activating a broad political arrangement.

A senior leader who has been a member of the CPI(M) Politburo -- its highest decision-making body -- since 2012, Baby called himself an "obedient soldier" of the party.

There were more deserving candidates, he told reporters shortly after being elected to the party's top post.

The former Kerala minister admitted that there had been a decline in the party's strength and said every CPI(M) member needed to come together to achieve the goal of strengthening it.

Asked about the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, the veteran Left leader called the Congress the most important constituent of the alliance.

"But the Congress in Kerala, we don't know why it is competing with the BJP to criticise the CPI(M)."

It is on record that the leader of opposition, during the course of the last Lok Sabha elections, asked in a couple of public meetings why (Kerala Chief Minister) Pinarayi Vijayan was not being arrested. The leader of opposition should conduct himself in a responsible manner as the leader of the overall political bloc in the opposition," Baby said without taking any names.

During campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had questioned why central agencies were not investigating Vijayan.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is the main to the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the state. Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan has repeatedly demanded Vijayan's resignation, including recently over corruption allegations against his daughter.

"I.N.D.I.A. bloc meetings have not been held after the Lok Sabha elections. There are certain problems," Baby said but also expressed hope that the grouping would be able to overcome those differences.

There is a systematic assault by the Sangh Parivar and the Narendra Modi government even against non-political forces, he alleged.

"For instance, filmmakers are being attacked. We all know what is happening in connection with 'Empuraan'," he said.

"So, Narendra Modi is making a contribution for a broad political arrangement to be activated. If he keeps on attacking the opposition parties, writers, and so on, they would be left with no other option but to come together. So, that will emerge," he said.

Directed by actor Prithviraj Sukumaran, who also features alongside Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, "L2: Empuraan" has found itself at the centre of a controversy over its critique of right-wing politics and covert mention of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Baby -- elected to the top post after beating off competition from All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) president Ashok Dhawale -- also said he would work with all party leaders and members, with the CPI(M) -- the biggest of the Left parties in India -- looking to increase its independent strength, besides building Left unity.

"Challenges are not just before me personally. There are 10 lakh members and every party member is equally important," Baby said.

The branches are the party's life cells, he said, comparing the CPI(M) to a living organism.

"Only when the entire party moves, right from the branches, branches constitute the life cells of the party, which is a living organism for us, because the party is constituted of lakhs of living people. So every party branch has to be activated," he said.

"The Central Committee and the Politburo have a leadership task. I am one among the Politburo members, maybe the first among the Politburo and Central Committee members," he said.

Baby also said he was convinced there were other party leaders who were more deserving of the top post.

"I am fully convinced that there were more deserving comrades to be the general secretary. But other comrades and my colleagues, in their wisdom or lack of it, decided to make me the general secretary. As an obedient soldier of the party, I accepted," he said.

"With the help of all Politburo and Central Committee members and lakhs of branch members, we will collectively carry out the decisions of the party congress," he added.

Admitting to a decline in the party's strength, Baby said they emphasised on strengthening the CPI(M) as an independent political force.

"There has been some decline in our strength which we don't want to conceal. Only when we accept the reality, recognise the reality, and search for the reasons as to why we are faced with this decline, will we be able to undertake a course correction. We are in the process of not only doing all that is necessary to strengthen the party but also build Left unity," he said.

He added that leaders from the CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) were invited to strengthen Left unity.

A new Central Committee and Politburo were elected at the 24th All India Party Congress of the CPI(M), with several top leaders stepping down after crossing the age ceiling and new faces being inducted.

The 84-member Central Committee elected on Sunday includes 30 new faces. The Central Committee elected an 18-member Politburo, including eight new members.