M.A. Baby elected general secretary of CPI(M)

M.A. Baby has been elected the new general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

M.A. Baby, Polit bureau member, has been elected the new general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). 

The 24th congress of the party, which ended in Madurai on Sunday (April 6, 2025), also elected an 18-member Polit Bureau with eight new members. Pinarayi Vijayan, Polit Bureau member, was given exemption from the age bar of 75 years to hold party positions, for being the Chief Minister of Kerala. 

Born on April 5, 1954, in Kollam, Kerala, M.A. Baby, son of P.M. Alexander and Lilly Alexander, developed an early interest in politics during his school years in NSS High School Prakkulam. 

This initial spark grew stronger when he attended S.N. College in Kollam, where he actively participated in student politics during his Pre-Degree years and later as a student of BA, Political Science. His involvement in student and youth movements played a key role in shaping his political career as he emerged as a key member of organisations like the Kerala Students Federation and the Democratic Youth Federation of India. His student days were vital in shaping him as a leader and giving him a deeper understanding of political issues.

He was the All India President of both the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). Later, he became a member of the central committee of the CPI(M). While he was a member of Rajya Sabha from 1986-1998, he represented Kundara assembly segment in Kollam from 2006 to 2016. 

Mr. Baby served as Minister for General Education and Culture in the Kerala government from 2006 to 2011 and his tenure was particularly noted. A prominent figure within the CPI(M), he was then elected to the Polit Bureau in 2012. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he contested from Kollam constituency but lost to N. K. Premachandran of the Revolutionary Socialist Party. Beyond his political roles, Mr. Baby is also an author, having written books on diverse subjects including Noam Chomsky, the youth movement, and education.