Communist Party of India

The Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest communist party in India. The CPI was founded in modern-day Kanpur on 26 December 1925.

Although the CPI considers its formation date as 1925, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which split from CPI in 1964, is of the view that the CPI was founded on 17 October 1920. There is a disagreement between the two parties on this topic.

Currently, it has two members in Lok Sabha and two members in Rajya Sabha. In addition, it has 22 MLAs across four states and one MLC in Bihar. It has the current ECI status of a state party in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Manipur.

CPI was heavily involved in resistance to British colonisation, the fight against the caste system and for land reform. Between 1921 and 1933, many communist leaders were arrested and imprisoned. In 1934, the British colonial administration banned the Communist Party and its affiliated trade union and peasant organisations, making membership a criminal offence. The Communist Party continued its activities clandestinely, despite the repression. Between 1946 and 1951, it structured the peasant revolt in Telangana and organised guerrilla warfare against the feudal lords. The CPI was the main opposition party in India during the 1950s to 1960s.

CPI was part of the ruling United Front government from 1996 to 1998 and had two ministers under Devegowda and Gujral Ministry. The Left Front gave outside support to the V. P. Singh government (1989–90) and UPA government (2004–2009). The Left Front governed West Bengal for 34 years (1977–2011) and Tripura for 25 years (1993–2018).

As of December 2023, the CPI is a part of the state government in Kerala led by LDF. The CPI have four Cabinet Ministers and a Deputy Speaker in Kerala. In Tamil Nadu, it is in power with SPA coalition led by DMK. In Telangana, it is in alliance with the INC.

CPI, along with the Left Front, is part of the INDIA bloc formed to defeat the incumbent BJP-led right-wing NDA government in 2024 General elections. Provided by Wikipedia