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Pinarayi Vijayan will lead Left Front in 2026 Kerala polls: New CPM general secretary MA Baby

Baby made remarks after being unveiled as the next national general secretary of the CPI(M) at the party congress in Madurai on Sunday.

CPM general secretary M A Baby on Pinarayi Vijayan leading Left Front in Kerala polls

M A Baby said that Kerala CM Vijayan would lead CPM's campaign in the Kerala Assembly elections next year.

Newly elected CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby on Sunday said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would lead the party’s campaign in the Assembly elections next year and that a decision on the next CM would be taken after the polls if the Left retains power.

Asked if Vijayan would lead the party in the elections, Baby, a former state education minister, said, “Pinarayi Vijayan now is the leader of the Left Front in Kerala. He is the CM. Vijayan naturally will lead the Left Front in terms of its political and organisational campaign. Why are you now discussing with such curiosity the question of who will be the chief minister in the event of us retaining power? When the time comes, we will decide. We will make a good decision.”

Baby made remarks after being unveiled as the next national general secretary of the CPI(M) at the party congress in Madurai on Sunday.

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Baby’s elevation to the top post also coincided with the party ushering in a major leadership shift in the Politburo by inducting eight new members, including U Vasuki, Vijoo Krishnan, Mariam Dhawale, Srideep Bhattacharya, Amra Ram and K Balakrishnan. Veterans such as Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, and Manik Sarkar will step down.

The changes have come at a time when the party is grappling with the loss of its mass base in different parts of the country. It has mostly reduced to Kerala, where it is in power in an alliance of Left partners.

Assembly elections are due to take place in Kerala in next year.

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