New Delhi: CPM general secretary M.A. Baby said the party is undergoing an internal “treatment” as part of its correction process, acknowledging that even leaders at the higher levels are not free from parliamentary deviations.

Baby also said there are no specific guidelines for the CPM’s extended state committee meeting to be held in Kozhikode.

Drawing an analogy with Ayurvedic treatments such as ‘chavitti-pizhichil’ and ‘dhara’, Baby said the party’s corrective measures were similar forms of treatment for an illness.

At the CPM Politburo meeting that concluded recently, members conducted self-criticism on three issues - parliamentary ambitions, working in accordance with people’s wishes, and collective functioning.

When asked whether any Politburo member had admitted to having parliamentary ambitions during the self-criticism, Baby did not give a direct answer.
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Baby backs Pinarayi’s remarks

Baby supported the positions taken by Pinarayi Vijayan in his recent speeches in Payyannur and Taliparamba.

He said party members must vote for a candidate selected by the party. If members disagree with the party’s decision, they should raise their concerns within party committees rather than act against the party line.

The Kannur district committee has already assessed that there were mistakes in candidate selection, Baby said, adding that the state committee had accepted the assessment.
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Extended State Committee Meeting to focus on strengthening party

Baby said discussions at the extended state committee meeting in Kozhikode would be based on a report prepared by the state committee.

The discussions will include criticism and self-criticism based on the report, he said. The party’s central and state committees have already assessed its electoral defeat, and the assessment has been printed and circulated as a party document. There would be no further discussion on that issue, Baby said.

The Kozhikode meeting will instead focus on suggestions and measures needed to strengthen the party.

Nine Politburo members, including Baby, will attend the meeting. The others are Pinarayi Vijayan, M.V. Govindan, A. Vijayaraghavan, K. Balakrishnan, V. Vasuki, B.V. Raghavulu, Ashok Dhawale and Viju Krishnan.

Asked whether a leadership change was on the agenda of the extended state committee meeting, Baby dismissed the suggestion, saying it was only a “media agenda”.