Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Abbreviation

CPI(M)

Founded

1964

Founder(s)

Leaders who split from the CPI, including E. M. S. Namboodiripad and Jyoti Basu

Main base

Kerala, West Bengal, Tripura

Status

National party (ECI)

TN Assembly 2026

2 seats

Formed in 1964 after a split in the Communist Party of India. It led long-running state governments in West Bengal and Tripura and alternates in power in Kerala.

Milestones

• 1964 Formed after the CPI split
• 1977 Left Front government in West Bengal begins (lasted till 2011)
• 2004 Best Lok Sabha result: 43 seats
• 2026 Backs the TVK-led government in Tamil Nadu (2 MLAs)

Election record at a glance

• Contested 15 Lok Sabha general elections under this name, from 1967 to 2024.
• First won Lok Sabha seats in 1967 (19). Best result: 43 seats in 2004. Total seats won across all elections: 365.
• Highest vote share: 6.55% in 1989.
• In 2024 it contested 52 seats in 15 states/UTs and won 4, with 1.76% of all votes polled.
• In Tamil Nadu (Madras State before 1969) it has won 12 Lok Sabha seats in total; best: 4 in 1967.