Indian Communist Party: From Governing Millions to Political Decline – Where Has the Leftist Power Gone?
For the first time since 1957, communist forces in India have been ousted from power in all states. In this month’s Kerala elections, the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), suffered defeat. After a decade in power, this loss in Kerala means communist parties are now out of government at every state level across India. Once, communist parties ruled from West Bengal to Kerala and Tripura. At their peak success, they influenced up to ten crore people through networks of labor unions, student organizations, and disciplined cadres.
The Left Front governed West Bengal continuously from 1977 to 2011, marking the longest tenure of elected communist rule not only in India but worldwide. In Tripura, the left ruled for a total of 35 years, sustaining a 25-year unbroken tenure before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, achieved a third consecutive victory in 2018. Kerala’s history is distinct: in 1957, EMS Namboodiripad became the world’s first elected communist leader from Kerala. Since then, the state has alternated rule between the left and the Congress party.
Many perceive the influence of communist forces to be waning today. Currently, their organizational presence is weak. Despite recent electoral defeat, the left still remains politically strong in Kerala. However, in West Bengal and Tripura, the traditional leftist strongholds have crumbled. Nationally, the CPI(M)’s vote share has declined, dropping to just around 2 percent in the latest general election. These declining electoral results are often linked to the shrinking political significance of parties expressed in older political discourse.
According to Mohammed Salim, CPI(M) general secretary for West Bengal, the rise of Hindu nationalism and economic liberalization since the 1990s have politically and economically weakened the communists. Nevertheless, experts argue that the challenges to the left cannot be attributed solely to Hindu nationalism, identity politics, or ambitions-driven politics, and they urge against completely dismissing leftist acceptance.
Party leaders insist that waning electoral returns alone do not fully reflect the social and political relevance of communist forces. “What we always ask is, what does the future look like without us? Winning seats is important, but being in the hearts of the people is a greater matter,” said CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby.
