MA Baby Becomes CPI(M) General Secretary at 24th Party Congress in Madurai:

At the 24th All India Conference held in Madurai, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) named former Kerala Education Minister MA Baby as its General Secretary. This marks a significant milestone as Baby is the first CPI(M) general secretary from a minority background.

The newly formed Central Committee now includes 85 members, with one seat vacant. Notably, 20% of the committee members are women. This development was shared by the party through a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Leadership Message from MA Baby
In his address to the delegates, Baby emphasized the importance of unity and coordination among all party branches, intermediary bodies, and mass organizations. He urged members to engage actively in the party's collective mission, highlighting that over five million people are involved through these organizations.

Early Life and Political Career
Born in 1954 in Prakkulam, Kerala, MA Baby began his political journey through the Kerala Students' Federation, which later became the Students Federation of India (SFI). He entered the Rajya Sabha in 1986 and served until 1998.

From 2006 to 2011, Baby held the position of Education Minister in the Kerala government under Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan. His tenure faced challenges, including criticisms related to school textbooks.

Personal Background and Interests
MA Baby is married to Betty Louis, who has been active in student politics and media. She served on the Kerala SFI committee and worked with Asianet TV and Kairali TV. The couple has a son, Ashok Betty Nelson.

Political Milestones and Electoral Journey
Baby joined the CPI(M) central committee in 1999. His prominence rose slowly as leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan led the party’s direction. In 2006, Baby was elected to the Kerala Assembly from Kundara and became Education Minister. Though re-elected in 2011, he lost the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to RSP’s N K Premachandran.