List of communist parties in India

This page contains a list of political parties in India that are aligned with the communist ideology. Most communist parties in India trace their origins to-

Currently, electoral socialist politics is especially prevalent in the states of Kerala, West Bengal, and Tripura.

In terms of armed insurgency the red corridor, also called the red zone,[21] is a region that is considerably affected by the Naxalite–Maoist insurgency, the red corridor is in the eastern, central, and southern parts of India more specifically in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, and West Bengal.[22][23][24][25]

Communist Parties Registered with Election Commission of India

Communist Parties with National Party Status

A registered party is recognised as a national party only if it fulfils any one of the three conditions listed below:[26]

  1. The party wins 2% of seats in the Lok Sabha from at least three different states.[27]
  2. At a general election to Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly, the party polls 6% of votes in any four or more states and in addition it wins four Lok Sabha seats.
  3. The party gets recognition as a state party in four states.
Election Symbol Party Flag Name Ideology Founded Leader State/UT governed State/UT in Alliance partner in government Seats in
Lok Sabha
Seats in
Rajya Sabha
Seats in State
Assemblies
Seats in State
Councils
Communist Party of India (Marxist)[28][29] Communism[30] 7 November 1964 (1964-11-07)[31][32][33] Sitaram Yechury (General Secretary)[34][35][36] 1/31
2 / 31
3 / 543
5 / 245
82 / 4,036
0 / 426

Communist Parties with State Party Status

A party has to fulfill any of the following conditions for recognition as a state party:

  1. A party should secure at least 6% of valid votes polled in an election to the state legislative assembly and win at least 2 seats in that state assembly.
  2. A party should secure at least 6% of valid votes polled in an election to Lok Sabha and win at least 1 seat in Lok Sabha.
  3. A party should win minimum three percent of the total number of seats or a minimum of three seats in the Legislative Assembly, which ever is higher.
  4. A party should win at least one seat in the Lok Sabha for every 25 seats or any fraction thereof allotted to that State.
  5. Under the liberalised criteria, one more clause that it will be eligible for recognition as state party if it secures 8% or more of the total valid votes polled in the state.
Election Symbol Party Flag Name Ideology Founded Leader Recognised In States/UT Governed Seats in
Lok Sabha
Seats in
Rajya Sabha
Seats in State
Assemblies
Seats in State
Councils
chief minister Alliance partner
All India Forward Bloc Left-wing nationalism
Socialism
Anti-imperialism
Marxism[37]
22 June 1939 (1939-06-22) Debabrata Biswas West Bengal 0/31
0 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,036
0 / 426
Communist Party of India D. Raja Kerala,

Manipur , Tamil Nadu

0/31 3/31
Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)[8] Communism
Marxism–Leninism[38]
Revolutionary socialism
19 March 1940 (1940-03-19) Manoj Bhattacharya[39] Kerala[8]
West Bengal[8]
0/31
0 / 31
1 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,036
0 / 426
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation[40] Communism[41]
Marxism–Leninism
Maoism[41]
28 July 1974 (1974-07-28)[42][43][20] Dipankar Bhattacharya[44][45][46] Bihar[47] 0/31
2 / 31
0 / 543
0 / 245
13 / 4,036
0 / 426

Regional Communist Parties

Parties that are regional in nature and are registered yet unrecognised.

Party Flag Name Abbr. Ideology Founded Leader Recognised in Seats in
Lok Sabha
Seats in
Rajya Sabha
Seats in State
Assemblies
Seats in State
Councils
Notes
Workers Party of India WPI Communism
Marxism
1943 (1943) Manik Dutta Registered, Unrecognized
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,036
0 / 426
Peasants and Workers Party of India[8] PWP/
PWPI
Communism
Marxism–Leninism
13 June 1948 (1948-06-13)[53] Jayant Prabhakar Patil Registered, Unrecognized[8]
0 / 543
0 / 245
1 / 4,036
1 / 426
Marxist Co-ordination Committee MCC/
MCO/
M-COR
Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Maoism
1971 (1971) Arup Chatterjee[55][56][57] Registered, Unrecognized
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,036
0 / 426
United Communist Party of India UCPI Communism
Marxism-Leninism
1989 (1989) Sukhinder Singh Dhaliwal Registered, Unrecognized
0 / 543
0 / 245
0 / 4,036
0 / 426

Minor Communist Parties

Negligible impact on Indian politics, many don't contest elections or organise. Some of these parties used to be important at state or even national level.

Pro Left Front Parties

Parties that support the Left Front in West Bengal and Tripura-

Election Symbol/Flag Name Abbr. Leader Founded Ideology Notes
Revolutionary Communist Party of India RCPI Biren Deka 1 August 1934 (1934-08-01) Communism
Anti-Stalinism[58]
Bolshevik Party of India BPI Dilip Mathur 1939 (1939) Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Marxist Forward Bloc Jaihind Singh 12 November 1953 (1953-11-12) Marxism
Left-wing populism
Satyashodhak Communist Party Sharad Patil 1978 (1978) Marxism
Phule thought
Ambedkarism
Marxism-Phule-Ambedkarism
Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy JSS A. N. Rajan Babu 1994 (1994) Communism
Marxism
Communist Marxist Party (Aravindakshan) CMP(A) M. V. Rajesh 2019 (2019) Communism
Marxism

Left United Front Parties

Parties in opposition to Left Front in West Bengal and Tripura as well as Left Democratic Front in Kerala-

Logo/Flag Name Abbr. Leader Founded Ideology Notes
Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) SUCI(C) Provash Ghosh 24 April 1948 (1948-04-24) Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Shibdas Ghosh Thought
Anti-revisionism
Marxist Communist Party of India (United) MCPI(U) Maddikayala Ashok 2005 (2005) Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Revolutionary Marxist Party of India RMPI Mangat Ram Pasla 2016 (2016) Communism
Marxism–Leninism

Pro UPA Communist Parties

Part of now defunct Confederation of Indian Communists and Democratic Socialists (CICDS)

Others

Pro-BJP/ NDA Communist Parties

Logo/Flag Name Abbr. Leader Founded Ideology Notes
Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists CPRM Ratna Bahadur Rai 1996 (1996) Communism
Marxism
  • CPRM was part of Confederation of Indian Communists and Democratic Socialists (CICDS), a confederation of pro- left-wing parties in India.
  • CPRM struggles for a separate Gorkhaland state to be formed within India. It formed a United Front which failed. Since the failure of the United Front, CPRM formed the People's Democratic Front.
  • CPRM is currently part of the Democratic Front, with BJP.[59]

Other Communist Parties

Logo/Flag Name Abbr. Leader Founded Ideology Notes

Pro-armed struggle Communist Parties

Moderate Pro-Naxal/ Maoist Communist Parties

Extremist Pro-Naxal/ Maoist Communist Parties

Defunct Communist Parties

Logo Name Abbr. Leaders Foundation Year Dissolution Year Ideology Notes
All India Communist Party AICP Shripad Amrit Dange 1980 1987 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Andhra Pradesh Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (Chandra Pulla Reddy) APCCR (Chandra Pulla Reddy) Chandra Pulla Reddy 1971 1975 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Andhra Pradesh Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries APCCCR T. Nagi Reddy 1968 1975 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Maoism
Bolshevik–Leninist Party of India, Ceylon and Burma BLPI Leslie Goonewardene 1942 1947 Communism
Leninism
Trotskyism
Central Organising Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) COC, CPI(ML) Jagjit Singh Sohal ("Sharma") 1974 ~1982 Marxism-Leninism
Central Organising Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) (Umadhar Singh) COC, CPI(ML) (Umdhar Singh) Umadhar Singh ~1980 1985 Marxism-Leninism
Central Organising Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Party Unity CPI(ML) Party Unity Narayan Sanyal alias Naveen Prasad 1982 1998 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Maoism
Central Organising Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Shantipal COC, CPI(ML) Shanti Pal Shanti Pal (first)
Mankhushi Jha (last)
~1970 ~2006 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Maoism
  • As of 2006 the leader of Shanti Pal group in Madhepura was in jail, sentenced for the killing of a mukhya.
Central Reorganisation Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) CRC, CPI(ML) K. Venu 1979 1991 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Maoism
  • In October 1991 CRC, CPI(ML) was dissolved. K. Venu renounced Maoism and declared an All India communist party as an impossibility
Centre of Communist Revolutionaries of India CCRI 1988 1994 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
  • In August 1994 CCRI merged with the Punjab section of CPI(ML) Central Team, Communist Unity Centre of India and Marxist-Leninist Organising Centre to form the Communist Party Reorganisation Centre of India (Marxist-Leninist)
Centre of Indian Communists CIC 1974 1977 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Maoism
  • During the Emergency prohibition of several resistance groups was enforced.
Communist Consolidation Hare Krishna Konar 1935 1947 Indian nationalism
Communism
Marxism–Leninism
  • Dissolved after India achieved freedom
Communist League N. C. Sekhar 1931 1937 Communism
Communist League of India (Marxist–Leninist) CLI (ML) Ram Nath (first) 1978 ~2019 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Maoism
  • Over the years this party got divided into numerous different factions
Communist Marxist Party CMP C. P. John 1986 2014 Communism
Marxism
Communist Organisation of India (Marxist–Leninist) COI (ML) Kanu Sanyal 1985 2003 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Communist Party of French India V. Subbiah 1940 1954 Communism
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Bolshevik CPI (ML) (Bolshevik) Jayshree Rana 1977 Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Central Team CPI(ML) Central Team 1977 1994 Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Anti-revisionism
  • In 1994 the Punjab branch of CPI(ML) Central Team unified with Centre of Communist Revolutionaries of India, Communist Unity Centre of India and Marxist–Leninist Organising Centre to form the Communist Party Reorganization Centre of India (Marxist–Leninist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) New Initiative CPI (ML) New Initiative Arvind Sinha Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Unity Initiative CPI (ML) Unity Initiative Viswam 2003 Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Communist Party of Indian Union (Marxist–Leninist) CPIU (ML) 2003 Communism
Marxism–Leninism
  • In August 2003 discussions took place between Kanu Sanyal and Arvind Sinha from CPI (ML) and Subodh Mitra and S.D. Bose about a possible merger between CPIU (ML) and CPI (ML). The conference of CPIU (ML) in Samastipur 18 November 2003 confirmed the merger plans, and CPIU (ML) joined the CPI (ML) of Sanyal.
Communist Revolutionary Party Communism
Communist Workers Party (India) CWP Jyotibhushan Bhattacharya 1976 Communism
Comrades Association Communism
Forward Communist Party FCP K.N. Joglekar 1948 1952 Communism
Forward Communist Party (Anandi Mukherji) FCP (AM) Anandi Mukherji 1952 1952 Communism
Forward Communist Party (Joglekar) FCP (J) K.N. Joglekar 1952 1952 Communism
Indian Communist Party ICP U. Krishnappa 1985 Communism
Marxism
Indian Communist Party (Sen) ICP Mohit Sen 1988 Communism
Marxism
Indian People's Front IPF Nagbhushan Patnaik
Dipankar Bhattacharya
1982 1994 Communism
  • IPF was operated as the open mass front of the CPIML Liberation.
  • In December 1992, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation held its fifth congress in Kolkata. Following which the party came out of the underground and eventually disbanded the Indian People's Front in 1994.
  • From 1995 onward the party began contesting elections on its own, substituting the role of the former front.
Inquilabi Communist Sangathan ICS Achin Vanaik, Magan Desai, Thakore Shah, Amar Jesani, Vibhuti Patel, Somendra Kumar, Jagabandhu Chattopadhyay and Kunal Chattopadhyay 1984 2004 Communism
Trotskyism
  • Their last public activity was a hostile intervention into the World Social Forum of Mumbai 2004.
  • West Bengal-based Trotskyists who had left ICS in 2003 regrouped in 2008 to form Radical Socialist.
Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan LKPH Singaravelu Chettiar 1923 1925 Communism
Socialism
Lal Communist Party Hind Union Teja Singh Swatantra 1948 1952 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
  • Merger talks between the CPI Punjab unit and the Lal Communist Party began in 1951.
  • The Lal Communist Party approached the CPI to discuss reunification, albeit Teja Singh Swatantra opposed the idea. The CPI leadership responded positively. A party meeting was held at Dalel Singh Wala, which unanimously decided to dissolve the Lal Communist Party and unconditionally join CPI.
  • The merger of the two parties was completed in July 1952.
Lal Jhanda Dal Swadesh Mitra Communism
Maoism
Lal Nishan Party LNP 1965 2018 Communism
Marxism–Leninism
League Against Gandhism/Gandhi Boycott Committee 1934 Communism
Anti-Gandhism
Liberation Front (Sabuj Sen) Sabuj Sen 1985 Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Naxalism
Marxist Communist Party of India MCPI Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri 1983 2005 Communism
Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
Marxist League (India) 1933 1934 Communism
Marxism
Marxist League of Kerala Communism
Marxism
Trotskyism

Defunct Naxal-Maoist Communist Parties

Logo Name Abbr./A.k.a Leaders Foundation Year Dissolution Year Ideology Notes
All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries AICCCR Charu Majumdar;
Kanu Sanyal
1967 1969 Communism
Marxism-Leninism
  • Existed in 1967-1969: Originally a group within the CPI (Marxist). AICCCR was the predecessor to the original CPI (M-L)
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) CPI (ML) Charu Majumdar 1969 1972 Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Mao Zedong Thought
  • This is the original CPI (ML) which was founded on April 22, 1969. Led by Charu Mazumdar until his death in 1972. Splintered into many separate organizations.
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War 1980 2004 Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Mao Zedong Thought
Maoist Communist Centre MCC 1975 2004 Communism
Marxism–Leninism–Maoism

Separatist Communist Parties

Manipur

Party Flag Name Abbr. Ideology Founded Leader Notes
People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak PREPAK Communism
Separatism
9 November 1977 (1977-11-09)
People's Liberation Army of Manipur PLA-MP/PLAM Communism
Mao Zedong Thought
Separatism
25 September 1979 (1979-09-25)
Kangleipak Communist Party Communism
Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
14 April 1980 (1980-04-14) Ibungo Ngangom

The KCP has now been divided into numerous factions.[60]

Maoist Communist Party of Manipur MCPM Communism
Marxism–Leninism–Maoism
Separatism
September 2011 (2011-09) Chiranglen Sapamcha

Greater Nepal

Party Flag Name Abbr. Ideology Founded Leader Notes
Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj ABNES Maoism
Nepalese unity in India
1979 (1979) Bhot Bahadur thapa hemraj Singh gaman khtri

Bodoland

Logo Name Abbr. Leaders Foundation Year Dissolution Year Ideology Notes
National Democratic Front of Boroland NDFB B. Saoraigwra
G. Bidai[61]
B.R. Ferrenga
1986 2020 Ethnic nationalism[62]
Marxism
Socialism
Democracy
Separatism
  • The NDFB signed a peace treaty with the government in 2020 and disbanded itself.[63]

See also

References

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