# Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

The Politburo, also known as the Polit Bureau or the Political Bureau, is the executive authority of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). Its members are elected by the Central Committee, which is in turn elected at the Party Congress, typically convened every three years.

## History

Throughout its history, the Politburo has experienced periods of dissent and factionalism, resulting in internal crackdowns and purges. For instance, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, a co-founder of CPI(M) and four-term general secretary, conducted a series of purges within the Politburo and the Central Committee, to combat supposed "bourgeois parliamentary mentality".

## Functions and composition
### Elections

The All-India Party Congress, typically convened every three years, serves as the supreme authority of the CPI(M). Between sessions of the Party Congress, the Central Committee functions as the highest decision-making body. The Central Committee elects a Politburo from among its members, including the General Secretary, who is the party's principal leader.

### Functions

The Politburo functions as the executive body responsible for carrying out the work of the Central Committee between its sessions. It has the authority to make political and organisational decisions in the period between two meetings of the Central Committee. Additionally, the Politburo oversees the Central Secretariat, which manages the party's day-to-day operations and assists in the implementation of decisions taken by the Central Committee.

### Current composition

The 23rd Politburo was elected at the 23rd Party Congress, held in Kannur, Kerala, from 6 to 10 April 2022. Sitaram Yechury was re-elected for a third term as general secretary of the CPI(M). Ram Chandra Dome became the first-ever Dalit member of the Politburo.
Following Yechury's death on 12 September 2024, Prakash Karat was appointed Interim Coordinator, effective from 29 September 2024 until the 24th Party Congress, scheduled for April 2025. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, another member of the 23rd Politburo, had previously passed away on 1 October 2022.
Composition of the 23rd Politburo :
| No. | Name | State/Union Territory | Politburo Member Since (Year) |
| 1 | Prakash Karat (Interim Party Coordinator) | New Delhi | 1992 |
| 2 | Pinarayi Vijayan Chief Minister of Kerala | Kerala | 2002 |
| 3 | Brinda Karat | New Delhi | 2005 |
| 4 | Manik Sarkar Former Chief Minister of Tripura | Tripura | 1998 |
| 5 | M. A. Baby | Kerala | 2012 |
| 6 | Surjya Kanta Mishra | West Bengal | 2012 |
| 7 | Mohammed Salim | West Bengal | 2015 |
| 8 | Subhashini Ali | Uttar Pradesh | 2015 |
| 9 | B. V. Raghavulu | Andhra Pradesh | 2005 |
| 10 | G. Ramakrishnan | Tamil Nadu | 2015 |
| 11 | Tapan Kumar Sen | West Bengal | 2018 |
| 12 | Nilotpal Basu | West Bengal | 2018 |
| 13 | Ram Chandra Dome | West Bengal | 2022 |
| 14 | A. Vijayaraghavan | Kerala | 2022 |
| 15 | Ashok Dhawale | Maharashtra | 2022 |

## List of Party Congresses

List of Party Congresses held by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) :
| No. | Date | Location | Elected Secretary |
| 24th | 2 – 6 April 2025 | Madurai, Tamil Nadu | TBD |
| 23rd | 6 – 10 April 2022 | Kannur, Kerala | Sitaram Yechury |
| 22rd | 18 – 22 April 2018 | Hyderabad, Telangana | Sitaram Yechury |
| 21st | April 2015 | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | Sitaram Yechury |
| 20th | April 2012 | Calicut, Kerala | Prakash Karat |
| 19th | 29 March – 3 April 2008 | Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu | Prakash Karat |
| 18th | 6 – 11 April 2005 | New Delhi, Delhi | Prakash Karat |
| 17th | 19 – 24 March 2002 | Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh | Harkishan Singh Surjeet |
| 16th | 5 – 11 October 1998 | Calcutta, West Bengal | Harkishan Singh Surjeet |
| 15th | 3 – 8 April 1995 | Chandigarh, Punjab | Harkishan Singh Surjeet |
| 14th | 3 – 9 January 1992 | Madras, Tamil Nadu | Harkishan Singh Surjeet |
| 13th | 27 December 1988 - 1 January 1989 | Trivandrum, Kerala | E. M. S. Namboodiripad |
| 12th | 25 – 29 December 1985 | Calcutta, West Bengal | E. M. S. Namboodiripad |
| 11th | 26 – 31 January 1982 | Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh | E. M. S. Namboodiripad |
| 10th | 2 – 8 April 1978 | Jalandar, Punjab | E. M. S. Namboodiripad |
| 9th | 27 June – 2 July 1972 | Madurai, Tamil Nadu | Puchalapalli Sundarayya |
| 8th | 23 – 29 December 1968 | Cochin, Kerala | Puchalapalli Sundarayya |
| 7th | 31 October – 7 November 1964 | Calcutta, West Bengal | Puchalapalli Sundarayya |