Madurai: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) has openly acknowledged that religious beliefs and conservative ideologies are affecting its members, while acknowledging that deep-rooted patriarchal values are obstructing women's participation. These observations are part of the organisational report set to be presented at the 24th Party Congress in Madurai on Wednesday.

The report includes self-criticism regarding ethical lapses among party leaders, citing corruption, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and dowry demands. It also warns that excessive focus on parliamentary politics is diluting the party's ideological commitment and altering its core identity.

One of the most pressing challenges highlighted is the large-scale exodus of party members. In Kerala, membership dropped by 22.8% in 2024, while Telangana recorded the highest decline at 35.5%. Other states also saw significant drops—Himachal Pradesh (14.5%), Uttar Pradesh (14%), and Tamil Nadu, where 10-15% of members have left the party annually since 2015.

The report criticises the party’s failure to implement the Kolkata Plenum resolution, which mandated that 25% of members should be women. Despite an increase in the proportion of women in the Central Committee from 15.8% to 17.6% due to a reduction in total membership, overall female representation remains inadequate, the report says. 

The document also notes that a significant portion of party members lack the leadership skills required to attract or influence the public. It attributes this to the weak grassroots presence of class and mass struggle organizations. Only 30-40% of members actively participate in party activities.

The report highlights concerning trends among the party’s 10,473 full-time workers. It says that corruption, ambition-driven politics, moral degradation, and luxurious lifestyles are affecting them. The report also notes that Tamil Nadu district leaders were accused of domestic violence and dowry-related offences. In Telangana, corruption remains a primary issue, while leadership in Hindi-speaking states reportedly lacks awareness of how RSS-BJP forces influence public opinion. In Tamil Nadu, 14 out of 41 district conferences saw contests for the district secretary position.