The crucial Kerala state conference of the CPI(M) ahead of the 24th Party Congress will begin on Thursday in Kollam, a district with deep communist roots.
Back in 1995, the state conference at Kollam became a venue for an early power demonstration of the ‘VS faction’—which played the roles of protagonist and antagonist in Kerala’s and party’s history for nearly two decades since then. That was a precursor to the mega faction war—with one faction aligning under VS Achuthanandan and the other under current chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan—that would hit the party in the 2000s and 2010s.
However, because of his advanced age and health conditions, VS is no longer in active politics and the VS faction is now dead. For many years now, CM Vijayan has been the unquestioned leader of the party. The 2025 Kollam conference is expected to continue this status quo and image of unity under Vijayan’s firm leadership.
Pinarayi Vijayan, who previously received an exemption from the age limit of 75, is likely to secure the same exemption this time, too, to retain his CM post. M.V. Govindan Master is also likely to retain his position as state secretary.
The CPM has long aimed to secure 50 per cent of the vote single-handedly, and the party will discuss its crucial plans for the upcoming election year. The delegate discussion will centre around the policy document "Navakeralathinaayi Puthuvazhikal" (New Ways for New Kerala) presented by Chief Minister Vijayan.
The conference will also address whether the party will increase women’s representation in the state committee and secretariat. A total of 530 participants—comprising 486 delegate representatives, 86 conference representatives, and 44 guests and observers—are expected to attend the event in its entirety.
During the conference, the party will review the evaluation of the "Navakeralathulla Party Kazhchappadu" (The party viewpoint for New Kerala) policy document from the previous session, assessing the extent to which the Party Plenum-approved corrections have been implemented.
Notably, the conference follows immediately after the Vijayan government tabled the Kerala State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Bill, 2025—a move that marked a significant shift in the party’s education policy. Nevertheless, despite the potential for debates over the ideological gap between the government's practices and traditional Marxist principles, it is highly unlikely that any delegate will seriously accuse India’s sole remaining CPI(M)-led government under CM Vijayan of significant ideological deviation.
