Communist Party of India (Marxist)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party in India in terms of membership and electoral seats, beside being one of the national parties of India. The party was founded through a splitting from Communist Party of India in 1964 and sooner it became the dominant fraction. The 34 years of Left Front rule (where CPI-M was the largest party) in West Bengal was the longest-serving democratically elected communist-led government in the world. It had been also the third largest party of parliament for many times. Presently, CPI(M) is a part of ruling alliances in three states — the LDF in Kerala, Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, and the SPA in Tamil Nadu where it has representation in the legislative assemblies of 8 states. The All-India Party Congress is the supreme authority of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). However, during the time between two party congresses, the Central Committee is the highest decision-making body. The Central Committee shall elect from among its members a Polit Bureau including the General Secretary. The Polit Bureau carries on the work of the Central Committee between its two sessions and has the right to take political and organisational decisions in between two meetings of the Central Committee. Name CPI(M) is officially known as [] in Hindi, but it is often known as (, abbreviated MaKaPa) in press and media circles. During its initial years after the split, the party was often referred to by different names such as 'Left Communist Party' or 'Communist Party of India (Left)'. The party has used the name 'Left' because CPI people were dubbed 'rightist' in nature for their support of the Congress-Nehru regime. During the Kerala Legislative Assembly elections of 1965, the party adopted the name 'Communist Party of India (Marxist)' and applied to obtain its election symbol from the Election Commission of India.