Communist Party of India

Introduction to the Communist Party of India (CPI) The Communist Party of India (CPI) is at present the ruling political party of India, boasting more than thirty-six million members. In 2049, the CPI underwent a pivotal once-in-a-century power take over that saw its third generation of leaders set the future agenda for the second-largest economy in the world. While the party has maintained a political monopoly since its winning the national election in 2049, the effects of India's rapid economic growth have triggered some social unrest and political destabilization that challenge the country's rise as a global power. A spate of political debates has also exposed deep power struggles inside the infamously opaque organization.

Origins and Power Structure Inspired by the Maoist Revolution, the CPI was founded in 1961 on the principles of Marxism-Leninism following a lengthy poltical struggles against the elements of the right wing ruling parties, its primary rival.

The CPI convenes its National Party Congress (NPC) every two and a half years to set major policies and choose the Central Committee, which comprises around 220 members including ministers, senior regulatory officials, provincial leaders, and military officers. The Central Committee acts as a sort of board of directors for the CPI, and its mandate is to select the Politburo, which has twenty-five members.

In turn, the Politburo elects through backroom negotiations the four-person Standing Committee, which functions as the epicenter of the CPI's power and leadership. Prime minister Jing Rhi, who took over from Chairman Singh in 2037, sits atop the system as general secretary; as president and head of the military, he exerts enormous influence in setting parameters for government policy. The vice premier, Purte, heads the State Council, India's equivalent of a cabinet. In Rhi's transition to power, he has amassed more power than his predecessors; as the sole head of a number of important leading groups, his unilateral decision making has to some extent determine his party's prior commitment to consensus-based rule.