CPI(M) claims rise in cadre base in Kozhikode district in past decade

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has claimed that its cadre base in Kozhikode has substantially increased in the past decade even as the party is all set to hold its triennial district conference at Vadakara from January 29 to 31.

CPI(M) district secretary P. Mohanan told the media on Thursday that the party membership had gone up from 31,811 in 2015 to 55,624 in 2025. There were 174 local committees and 2,622 branches in the district a decade ago. At present, the number of local committees is 283 and there are 4,501 branches. In the past three years alone, 4,037 new members were added to the party in the district, Mr. Mohanan said.

Over a quarter of the total members were women. “In 2022, around 22% of the members were women. Now, the figure has gone up to 27%,” he pointed out. A total of 395 branch secretaries and 10 local committee secretaries were women. Asked if more women would find a space in the area committees and district committees as well, he said that the representation of women in the party would definitely go up in the coming days.

Mr. Mohanan said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is also a Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), would inaugurate the district conference at Narayananagaram in Vadakara. Mr. Vijayan would be present there throughout the three days along with other senior leaders.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mohanan refused to get himself drawn into a controversy over Sunni leader A.P. Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliyar’s remarks about the alleged meagre representation of women among party area secretaries in Kannur. “As politicians, we may have a different view on certain issues compared with religious leaders. There is no need for a debate on it,” he said. Mr. Mohanan also praised the Musliyar saying he had never supported the Jamaat-e-Islami’s alleged agenda of a theocratic state.

He also accused the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) of joining hands with the Social Democratic Party of India and the Jamaat-e-Islami for temporary electoral gains. “The IUML chose to align with them after the Left Democratic Front returned to power in the 2021 Assembly election. That party is concerned over sitting in the Opposition for more than five years,” Mr. Mohanan alleged.