India's communists once ruled millions. What happened to them?

India’s Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) lost control of Kerala’s government this month, ending a decade-long rule by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and marking the first time since 1957 that no Indian state was governed by communists. At their peak, communist parties ruled states including West Bengal, Kerala, and Tripura, influencing over 100 million people through trade unions, peasant organizations, and student wings. West Bengal’s Left Front governed continuously from 1977 to 2011, while Tripura’s Left ruled for 35 years before losing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2018. Kerala’s communists, led by EMS Namboodiripad since 1957, alternated power with the Congress party but never achieved permanent dominance. The CPI-M’s influence extended beyond state governments. In 1996, Jyoti Basu, then West Bengal’s chief minister, nearly became prime minister as head of a coalition but rejected the offer, later calling it a ‘historic blunder.’ The party also withdrew support from Manmohan Singh’s government in 2008 over the U.S. civil nuclear deal, holding 62 seats in parliament at the time. Despite economic stagnation in West Bengal and declining educational standards, the communists maintained cultural and intellectual influence beyond their electoral strongholds. Today, the Left survives unevenly. In Kerala, it remains politically relevant despite recent losses, while in Tamil Nadu, it operates through alliances. In Bihar, the CPI (M-L) maintains grassroots influence in some areas, and Left-backed student groups remain strong in universities. However, in West Bengal and Tripura—once strongholds—the communists now hold minimal power. Nationally, the CPI-M’s vote share has dropped from over 6% in the 1980s to below 2% in recent elections. The decline reflects broader political shifts. Mohammed Salim, CPI-M’s West Bengal secretary, attributes it to Hindu nationalism and market liberalization since the 1990s, which he describes as a ‘religious, political, and economic onslaught.’ The rise of identity politics and populist leaders has weakened class-based mobilization, as Salim notes: ‘Politics of division weakened class unity.’ Experts argue the Left’s struggles extend beyond nationalism, citing failures to adapt to changing economic and social priorities.