Bengal: Ahead of 2024 LS Polls, CPI(M) Launches 2-Month Mass Contact Programme

Kolkata:  "Peoples Connect" is set to become the focal point for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M) West Bengal unit in the coming two months. The party recently conducted an extended meeting of state committee members and has resolved to take their "peoples connect" initiative to grassroots levels throughout the state. 

Under this scheme, the party aims to reach every household in the state, emphasising the importance of harmony and highlighting the detrimental effects of the ruling Trinamool Congress’s (TMC's) involvement in widespread corruption. The campaign will feature a series of street corner meetings, padayatras, jathas, and mohalla meetings across the state, marking the initial steps towards preparing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

Addressing reporters here, CPI(M) State Secretary Mohd Salim, expressed concern over the “unprecedented vote rigging and corruption” during the recent panchayat polls in the state. Despite the challenges, he praised the resilience of the common people who “bravely confronted troublemakers, strengthening the base of the Left forces in the state.”

The meeting also led to a decision to reinforce the party at the booth level.

Salim further announced that the party will engage in discussions with its alliance partners in November, starting with talks within the Left Front, and later with broader Left parties outside the Left Front's scope.

The CPI(M) will also engage in talks with parties willing to combat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and TMC based to protect India's Constitution and fight against corruption, he added. In this regard, discussions will be held with the Congress and Indian Secular Front (ISF).

The CPI(M) meeting said that before the 2024 general elections, the BJP may focus on the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and the TMC may create propaganda about the installation of the Jagannath Mandir in Digha. However, the Left party said its priorities lie in addressing everyday issues faced by the common people, such as rising prices, food scarcity, healthcare, education, and employment-related concerns. 

Their demands will also include local-level requests for increased mass transportation opportunities for the people of the state.

DYFI's Insaaf Yatra Gathers Pace

The Insaaf Yatra, a "peoples connect" programme initiated by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), is gathering pace throughout the state, “making an impact in every area it traverses”, said Left sources. The Yatra, which commenced in Cooch Behar and recently reached Siliguri after passing through the tea garden belt in the Dooars region, organised meetings with the youth in tea garden areas. 

Along the way, the padayatris are raising awareness about the various challenges faced by the youth in these regions, including demands for minimum wages for tea garden labourers and the need for improved healthcare facilities. Participants in the padayatra include Bidyut Naskar, son of a martyr from Joynagar in South 24 Parganas district, and Antara Dutta of Burdwan, all of whom are DYFI members.