Kannur: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hoisted the red flag announcing the 23rd Party Congress of the CPM in Kannur Tuesday.
The event will officially begin Wednesday and will go on until April 10.
Speaking at the Jawahar Municipal Stadium, Pinarayi said that even though the communist party was only in power in Kerala, it was on a revival path in other states.
"In Tripura and West Bengal, the communist party is coming back strongly," said Vijayan, who is also the chairman of the organising committee.
General Secretary Sitaram Yechury will inaugurate the Party Congress. The five-day national conference is expected to take a final call on the party's approach towards the Congress.
The Party Congress is expected to approve the capping the age at 75 for office-bearers, besides discussing, among other issues, the move to include women's representation in the party's constitution.
The conclave will elect the new central committee members, who will in turn, elect the politburo members and general secretary.
As many as 906 delegates, including central committee and politburo members and observers, from across the country will attend the Congress at the E K Nayanar Academy here. Kerala has the most number of delegates — 175 — and three observers.
A politburo meeting on Tuesday evening will finalise the agenda of the Congress.
Party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, politburo members Manik Sarkar, Hannan Mollah and S Ramachandran Pillai are in Kannur.
Other leaders are expected on Wednesday.
The inaugural ceremony was followed by the presentation of the working and organisational reports of the past four years.
Two rallies taken out ahead of the Party Congress had arrived at the venue prior to the flag hoisting.
