Communist Party of India (Marxist)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), abbreviated as CPI(M), emerged out of a split from the Communist Party of India in 1964. The party was founded with an objective of achieving socialism. The party also aim at implementing reservations for the disabled in public sector employment, poverty alleviation programmes and education for the disabled. As of 2008, CPI(M) is heading three state governments which are Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura.

On the last day of the party’s 18th congress, the central committee elected Prakash Karat as the new general secretary of CPI(M). The other active members in the party are West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharyajee, V.S. Achuthanandan-current Chief Minister of Kerala, Jyoti Basu, Manik Sarkar and Ramachandran Pillai. Another important leader and public face of CPI (M) is Sitaram Yechury who is head of the International Department and Editor of CPI (M)s central weekly Peoples’ Democracy.

Contesting on an average 15 percent of the total seats in the last few elections, the CPI(M) has been getting around 6 percent of the votes. To the Lok Sabha elections in 2004, the party won 44 seats adding 11 more to its earlier tally of 33 in the 1999 elections. The party leaders have promised to implement the Disabilities Act along with other things like buildings, transport, information, public places and other avenues to be fully accessible and barrier free to people with disabilities.