The CPM hopes it has a better prospect in Lok Sabha polls next year and the ensuing panchayat elections will show whether the party’s organisational capabilities have improved in recent months.
Ever since it was voted out of power in 2011 in the aftermath of the Nandigram and the Singur lang agitations, the CPM has suffered electorally and organisationally. The party hit the nadir in terms of electoral performance in Bengal when it could not win a single seat in the 2021 Assembly polls. This is despite the party’s decision to drop old guards and throw into the contest young candidates like JNU leader Aishe Ghosh.
The 2019 Lok Sabha polls were no better as the party could not win a single seat to represent the CPM from Bengal in Parliament.
However, the CPM leadership claims that in the last few months, the party has been able to recover a significant section of the support it once used to enjoy but lost to the Trinamul Congress and the BJP.
The panchayat elections are going to be the first opportunity for the party to substantiate the claims it has been making.
“Politics is a gradually unfolding affair. The situation does not remain the same always. The panchayat battle is showing signs that were missing henceforth. It will bear fruits in the next year,” state CPM secretary Md. Salim said on the sidelines of a Meet the Press event organised by the Calcutta Press Club on Wednesday.
The last edition of panchayat polls was marred by violence and bloodshed and concluded with the ruling Trinamul winning 34 per cent of seats uncontested. While assaults and attacks on Opposition parties have been reported this time as well — since the polls were notified on June 9 — there have been multiple instances of resistance.
The counter-attack on Trinamul activists has been primarily led by the joint forces of the Left and the Congress, and the ISF in some cases.
The CPM’s ability to file more than 38,000 valid nominations has largely been attributed to this resistance put up by its supporters at the grassroots.
“We had referred to the resurrection of the Left in Bengal. These instances of people’s resistance are proof of it,” Salim said at the news conference.
The BJP had bagged 18 seats from Bengal in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Many had credited the violence unleashed by the ruling party for the tectonic shift in the voter’s mood.
“We can not deny that our traditional voters had voted for the BJP in order to defeat the Trinamul in 2019. But we have regained their confidence and their votesare going to come in ourfavour next year,” a CPM source said.
In the news conference, Salim, a former MP and state minister, also clarified that his party would not go into a national pre-poll alliance with other parties ahead of the parliamentary elections. He was reacting to questions on what impact will the Opposition meet at Patna, attended by chief minister Mamata Banerjee and CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, would have on the party’s equation with Trinamul in Bengal.
Adhir charge
State Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday accused the administration of facilitating the printing of fake ballot papers to disrupt the ensuing rural polls. He apprehended that original ballot papers would be replaced with the fake ones to orchestrate a winning situation for Trinamul Congress candidates.
“Double ballot papers are being printed. These ballot papers will be swapped on their way to the strong room from the booths,” Chowdhury alleged at a news conference.
Chowdhury’s claims have been backed by BJP’s Bishnupur MP Saumitra Khan. In a video message released by the saffron camp’s media cell, Khan claimed that a similar incident had taken place in Bankura as well.
However, neither Khan nor Chowdhury provided any proof of their claims.
Hitting back at these allegations Trinamul MP and spokesperson Santanu Sen said that Chowdhury’s allegations were baseless.
“The Opposition fielded about 1.5 lakh nominations, out of which Congress has the least numbers. His allegations are coming out of this frustration,” he said.
