The Militant Socialist Movement (; abbreviated MSM) is a centre-left political party in Mauritius. It is the largest single political party in the National Assembly of Mauritius, winning 42 of the 69 seats in the 2019 general elections. It also holds the largest number of seats in all city/town councils through the country with 60 councilors out of 120. The MSM is one of the three biggest political parties in the country, the others being the Labour Party (PTR) and Mouvement Militant Mauricien (MMM). The MSM has won, either alone or as part of a coalition, six of the twelve general elections in Mauritius since independence (in 1983, 1987, 1991, 2000, 2014 and 2019). It draws most of its support from the country's Hindu majority. The MSM was founded in 1983 by Sir Anerood Jugnauth, who was Prime Minister three times, for a total of sixteen years (1982–1995, 2000–2003, and again since 2014). He was also President from 2003 to 2012. He led the MSM from 1983 to 2003, when his son Pravind Jugnauth, officially assumed the leadership. Pravind Jugnauth served as Vice Prime Minister in his father's cabinet. Other members of the Jugnauth family have also been politically active, including Lall Jugnauth (a former Attorney General), Ashok Jugnauth (former Minister of Health) and Maya Hanoomanjee (also former Minister of Health). As of 2021, the front bench of the MSM is composed of four members, namely Pravind Jugnauth (Leader), Maneesh Gobin (Secretary General), Joe Lesjongard (President), and Leela Devi Dookhun (Vice President). Party history The Militant Socialist Movement emerged in 1983 out of the split between the leaders of the two main parties comprising the coalition government: the MMM founder Paul Bérenger and the Parti Socialiste Mauricien (PSM) leader, Harish Boodhoo. Bérenger proposed a constitutional amendment to transfer the executive powers of the Prime Minister to the Cabinet as a collective body. Prime Minister Jugnauth, a member of the MMM, rejected Bérenger's proposal and was supported by Boodhoo. Bérenger sought a parliamentary vote of no confidence to replace Jugnauth with Prem Nababsing, but Jugnauth abruptly dissolved the National Assembly before it had a chance to vote. The MMM split, with Jugnauth and his supporters merging with Boodhoo's PSM to form the MSM. The MSM, in an electoral pact with the Labour Party and the PMSD, went on to win the ensuring election and Jugnauth remained in office. In 1985, four