Overview
- Marking its centenary on December 26, the CPI is holding flag-hoisting, a seminar, cultural programs and an exhibition in New Delhi.
- D Raja says Communists must adapt to AI’s impact on production and profits, pursue an ideological contest with the RSS, and seek unity among Left and secular forces.
- The parliamentary Left’s footprint has shrunk from 53 Lok Sabha seats and about 8% vote share in 2004 to roughly eight seats and 3% in 2024.
- The CPI currently counts two MPs in the Lok Sabha and two in the Rajya Sabha, with limited state-level representation recognized mainly in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Manipur.
- Leaders and commentators link the Left’s weakened position to historical splits and stagnation, even as they note past achievements in labor organizing and state governance in Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura.