The Calcutta unit of the CPM has launched a first-of-its-kind campaign to reach out to panchayat voters at popular entry points to the city and hubs where they arrive for work.
Kick-starting the campaign on Monday morning, CPM workers spread out at railway stations, bus depots, ferry ghats, retail and wholesale markets, factories, mess and boarding accommodations that are frequented by rural masses.
Armed with banners and party flags, the CPM activists interacted with the people and distributed pamphlets to convince them to vote for the Left and allied parties.
While the party undertook the campaign at Sealdah, Bidhannagar, Ballygunge, Tollygunge, Dhakuria, Jadavpur, and Dumdum stations in the morning, a similar campaign was carried out at Esplanade bus depot and the Fairlie Place ferry terminal in the evening.
“The campaign was a targeted approach to help us connect with the people in a better manner,” said Kallol Majumdar, the secretary of CPM’s Calcutta unit.
“In previous years, during panchayat polls, we used to organise street corners and small rallies. This time, we have adopted a unique strategy. A large number of rural masses come to the city for work and other needs. These stations and bus depots are their entry points to the city. As most commuters coming to the city will vote in the panchayat polls, we want to target these people,” he added.
Majumdar said the response on the first day had been overwhelming. At four of the seven stations, he said, his colleagues ran out of leaflets. The same campaign will be repeated on June 30.
Most wholesale and retail markets in Calcutta are frequented by people who come to sell their produce from the villages. To reach out to them, the CPM has identified markets, including Harisha Haat at Khanna near Maniktala and the Jadubabu’s Bazar in Bhowanipore. The Sobhabazar ferry terminal and the Garia crossing are two of the other entry points to the city that will see similar campaigns.
Smaller units under the party’s district committee have been included in the campaign. The smaller units have been asked to identify boardings, mess buildings, and paying guest accommodations, which are primarily rented out to people from panchayat areas. A door-to-door campaign will be organised at these facilities.
Similarly, campaigns will be carried out in slums that are populated by maids, many of whom are voters in panchayat areas.
The Trinamul Congress has said there is nothing “unique” in the CPM’s approach.
Bengal’s ruling party has claimed that the CPM had “copied” its idea to campaign at railway stations. A few days ago, Trinamul’s state general secretary Kunal Ghosh, minister Sashi Panja and MLA Madan Mitra held a campaign programme at Sealdah station. On Monday, a similar event was organised at the Howrah station.
“We will hold this campaign at Sealdah again. The CPM is just copying us. They are part of the NDA in Bengal. The CPM and the BJP are allies here trying to defeat Trinamul and in the process producing cheap copies of our campaign ideas,” Ghosh said.
Reacting to Ghosh’s allegations, Majumdar said the entire campaign was drawn and shared with party colleagues long back.
“The allegations are baseless,” he added.