News Analysis India

Tag: CPM

  • Facing cash crunch, Congress mulls Left turn towards CPM’s Kerala model of fundraising

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Facing a massive fund crunch, the Congress is looking at the Left’s Kerala model of funds collection where the majority of the party’s funds are collected from the masses through door-to-door mass contact funding drives and slips are issued to donors in return.

    The CPI (M) fund generation model in Kerala was also discussed at the recently held ‘Chintan Shivir’ in Udaipur and “a paragraph about the system” is also part of the detailed reports of the working groups. The model was suggested by former Kerala Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala. There was a detailed discussion on resource generation for the party in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha election.   

    “It is being considered seriously. There are some issues, such as how it can be implemented and funds management and transparency. It is being considered and will be discussed at the Task Force 2024 meetings,” said a party source.      

    According to an audit report submitted to the Election Commission, the income of the Indian National Congress (INC) declined by over 58 per cent in the financial year 2020-21, down from Rs 682.2 crore in the previous fiscal to Rs 285.7 crore. The Congress’ income stood at Rs 918 crore in FY 2018-19.

    The fund crunch is pinching the party most, especially after the demise of party treasurer Ahmed Patel, who used to handle party funding through his corporate and other contacts. Senior party leader and Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath has been also handling the fund generation but earnings have nosedived in the Modi regime.        

    The CPI(M) Kerala unit has been contributing maximum funds to the party coffers and there is a joke in party circles that the central party survives on funds from Kerala. The general rule for the party is that 70 per cent of funding must be from door to door mass contact funding drive.   

    Known as ‘bucket collection ‘, critics have questioned the credibility of such fund-raising and even the party itself has called for proper maintenance of funds. In 2013, the Kerala units of CPI(M) collected Rs 8 crore in just two days for establishing the Harkishan Singh Surjeet Bhawan and the EMS Research Centre. Of the Rs 8 crore, only Rs 3 crore was direct contribution from party members and the rest was through bucket collection.

  • SSC scam: Trinamool, Opposition hit out at each other; job aspirant attempts suicide

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: An School Selection Commission job aspirant who was among those participating in a demonstration near Mayo Road demanding jobs, tried to commit suicide by hanging herself from the branch of a tree using her dupatta on Thursday.

    The incident happened after the students were stopped from going to the Raj Bhawan to submit a deputation.

    The aspirant was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was discharged after initial treatment, police said.

    The incident took place following a clash between the police and the SSC job aspirant when they tried to march towards Raj Bhawan to submit a deputation.

    Following the incident, a BJP delegation went to Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.

    Later, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar tweeted a video showing an unidentified woman trying to hang herself in the presence of a senior police officer.

    The SSC job aspirants have been demonstrating demanding immediate placements for around 145 days, 

    Meanwhile, Opposition parties of West Bengal on Thursday demanded the resignation of Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his deputy Paresh Chandra Adhikari from their posts in the wake of the CBI investigation in the SSC scam, even as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee threatened to expose “illegal” recruitments made during the erstwhile Left Front regime.

    As the CBI questioned the two ministers on consecutive days since Wednesday on Calcutta High Court orders in connection with cases related to the scam, Banerjee accused the BJP-led central government of unleashing a “Tughlaqi raj” in the country and “misusing federal agencies to settle political scores”.

    The agency has been investigating a number of cases where teaching and non-teaching staff were allegedly appointed illegally in schools following recommendations by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (SSC).

    BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar and senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty demanded that both ministers should resign for their alleged involvement in the scam.

    In an apparent reference to the CBI investigation into the SSC scam, Banerjee said, “A lot of things are being said about discrepancies in recruitment. People are well aware of those who are involved in corruption. They don’t like such people, nor do I. If someone has committed any wrong, the law will take its own course.

    “But this vilification campaign should stop. During the Left Front regime, transfers were made and jobs were given by writing down names on (plain) paper. I will reveal the irregularities soon.”

    Reacting to the allegation of the TMC supremo, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty claimed that Banerjee is trying to divert attention by blaming the Left Front government.

    “The allegations are baseless. If there was any wrongdoing in recruitments during the Left rule, let the TMC prove it. We are not afraid of any investigation. Both the ministers should immediately resign from their posts,” Chakraborty said.

    The Central Bureau of Investigation had on Wednesday quizzed senior TMC leader and Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee as the alleged recruitment scam had taken place when he was the education minister.

    Adhikari who is the minister of state for education was grilled on Thursday by CBI sleuths regarding a case of alleged illegal appointment of his daughter as a teacher in a state government-aided school.

    BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar mocked Adhikari for disappearing all of a sudden instead of appearing before the CBI.

    “It seems some magic was going on as the minister suddenly went missing and again reappeared. This only proves how those guilty are trying to evade the investigating agencies. He should resign as minister,” Majumdar said.

    The court had directed Adhikari to appear before the CBI on May 17.

    He was seen to board the Kolkata-bound Padatik Express train at Jalpaiguri Road station in north Bengal along with his daughter on May 17 night but had remained untraceable since then.

    Following fresh high court orders, he appeared before the CBI on Thursday evening after initially failing to meet the 3 pm deadline set by the court on Thursday.

    Senior TMC leaders maintained a stoic silence on the issue.

    “The law will take its own course. We don’t want to comment on this issue as of now as it is sub-judice. Those who have been summoned are yet to comment. So, it won’t be right to make any on behalf of the party,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

    Senior leader and minister Shashi Panja also refused to comment saying that the matter is sub-judice.

  • Ballygunge bypoll: Defeated CPM nominee Saira Halim gets in Twitter spat with winner Babul Supriyo

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Ballygunge assembly seat byelection winner Babul Supriyo of the Trinamool Congress and runner-up Saira Shah Halim of the CPM entered into a battle of words on social media on Sunday, with the former BJP MP attacking her for showing “no class” after defeat and terming the Left party’s campaign as “below the belt”.

    Taking to Twitter to retaliate, Halim said that her party believes in a classless society where the rich and the poor will not be differentiated by the wealth and property they own. “I am relieved that we won Ballygunge defeating the vile, dirty, often below the belt, personal & false propaganda of @CPIM_WESTBENGAL,” Supriyo tweeted.

    And, now the lady who’s a loser by people’s verdict, doesn’t show the grace to accept the defeat but instead goes ahead to call me ‘Corrupt’But I will humbly & calmly enjoy the win letting her sulk in the pain of the loss Proves#EducationDoNotMakeOneEducated #LoserBjpCpim https://t.co/AY9eMnVXOU
    — Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) April 16, 2022
    Supriyo, who joined the TMC in September last year after being dropped as a minister of state from the Narendra Modi government, claimed that BJP candidate Keya Ghosh had her deposit forfeited for getting less than 6 per cent of the total votes cast.

    The newly-elected MLA from the prestigious Ballygunge seat in south Kolkata earlier tweeted, “Even after a filthy deplorable campaign full of lies & deceit @CPIM_WESTBENGAL & Saira Shah Halim shows no class, forget shame.”

    He also sought to remind the CPM that it has no representation in the West Bengal assembly with the Left Front not winning any seat in the 2021 elections in the state.

    Reacting to Supriyo’s tweets, Halim tweeted, “We believe in a classless society, where rich and poor will not be differentiated by the wealth and property they own. Anyone who judges me as having ‘no class’, knows what he is fighting against.”

    We believe in a classless society,where rich and poor will not be differentiated by the wealth and property they own.Anyone who judges me as having “no class”, knows what he is fighting against.
    — Saira Shah Halim ‏‎‎سائرہ (@sairashahhalim) April 17, 2022
    Accusing the CPM of resorting to a communal campaign in the byelection to Ballygunge, where more than 50 per cent of the electorate are from the minority community, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “It may have got some votes, but that does not mean a revival of the CPM is on the cards.”

    Ghosh said that the TMC leadership will look into how the Left party got more votes than what it had bagged in the last elections. He said that the CPM’s performance in the Asansol Lok Sabha by-election, which was won by the TMC’s Shatrughan Sinha with the BJP coming second, has been disastrous.

    Rising from just 5.61 per cent of the vote share in Ballygunge in the 2021 assembly elections, the CPIM) candidate notched up over 30 per cent of the votes polled in the by-poll, leaving behind the BJP to come up to the second position.

    The CPM last won from Ballygunge in 2001 and secured a third position behind the TMC and the BJP in the 2021 elections, which her husband Fuad Halim had contested.

  • ‘Failed to check surge of Hindutva forces’, admits CPM on national setbacks

    Express News Service

    KANNUR: On an introspective mode after back-to-back electoral and political setbacks at the national level, the CPM has set in motion the rectification process. The failure in cashing in on people’s agitations and converting them to mass agitations has been pointed out. 

    With its ever shrinking political space, the CPM feels it failed to effectively counter the Sangh Parivar’s Hindutva ideology and propaganda. The organisational report presented at the 23rd party congress has been highly self critical for the leadership’s failure in implementing many decisions.

    The party’s membership has seen a major decline after the last party congress when the membership came down to 9.85 lakh in 2021 from 10.07 lakh in 2018. 

    “The Hindutva campaign is highly dangerous as it engulfs other sectors like socio-cultural spheres, and has been trying to replace historical facts with mythology and superstitions. However the CPM couldn’t effectively counter the spread of this ideology,” said a top leader. 

    The party which looked at its structural and ideological failures in opposing Hindutva, observed that it should’ve run effective counter campaigns.

    “While we say that scientific temper should be maintained and history is being replaced, we need to effectively campaign and communicate. That has not been done. Now the party is thinking about running effective campaigns through literature and other measures,” he added. 

    Most delegates who spoke on the report cited urgent need of rectification measures. It was pointed out that many of the decisions taken at the last Party Congress were not implemented. The Politburo cited the pandemic as reason for the same.

    However the delegates who spoke at the meeting were not happy with the explanation. They said it’s a grave lapse on the part of the central leadership and should be rectified without fail. 

    “The delegates however bought the explanation with a pinch of salt, as they pointed out that a few other historic struggles like the peasants and workers movements happened during this period. Some of them were of the opinion that the central leadership wasted the first two years. Had they attempted, there could’ve been results is how they saw it,” said sources. 

    The politburo also identified areas for improvement. Weakness in grassroot level implementation too was pointed out. Many decisions taken at the top level are not being executed at the branch level due to lack of structural mechanism at the lower level. Many decisions remain only on paper.

    The leadership’s failure to effectively convert people’s struggles to major campaigns too was pointed out. The organisational report has pointed out the need to educate people from states, where the BJP is not a major force, about the threat posed by the Sangh Parivar.

    Briefing the media, PB member Prakash Karat admitted that there are decisions which could have and should have been implemented, but which couldn’t implement due to different reasons. 

    “We couldn’t implement many decisions taken during the last Party Congress. It’s due to many factors including those that are beyond our control. Now the focus is how to build up the party’s independent strength,” he said. 

    KN Balagopal who opened the debate on Kerala was highly critical of the central leadership. He pointed out that despite its strength and concentration in Delhi, the central leadership failed to effectively intervene in national politics.

    Other than frequent press notes and media conferences, nothing substantial was done. He also criticised the leadership for not taking enough measures to induct more youngsters through vibrant student political programmes. 

    Many other delegates too spoke on similar lines. The leadership will respond to the discussion on Sunday, after which the party will elect its new leadership including three new Central Committee and Politburo members. 

  • Showcasing bloodshed for political gains dangerous for country: CPM leader MY Tarigami

    CPM leader MY Tarigami said there is a need to objectively project the tragedies suffered by the people in Kashmir.

  • CPM submits deputation to Bengal poll panel alleging violence, electoral malpractices in civic polls

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Left Front on Monday held a protest meeting in front of the State Election Commission here alleging violence and electoral malpractices against the ruling Trinamool Congress and submitted a deputation to the commissioner.

    Left Front chairman Biman Bose claimed that the attempts were being made by the ruling party to destroy the democratic fabric in the state.

    “People have to raise their voice against the attempts of Trinamool Congress to murder democracy,” Bose told reporters before submission of the deputation to the state election commissioner.

    He said that protests were held throughout the state against acts of violence and electoral malpractices during Sunday’s elections to 107 municipalities.

    CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra, who was part of the delegation which gave the deputation to the commissioner, claimed that no action was taken against most of those who were seen to be involved in false voting and acts of intimidation.

  • INTERVIEW| Bringing down BJP from power our priority: CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury

    Express News Service

    Bringing down the Modi government is the top priority for the Left, which will consider the possibility of joining any third front or opposition alliance only after this objective is achieved, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury told Rajesh Kumar Thakur in an interview.

    Excerpts: 

    Do you think a Third Front imperative to challenge the BJP’s hegemony in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?

    At present, talking about the Third Front is mere speculation. In Indian politics, so far pre-poll coalitions in parliamentary elections have not been successful. They have succeeded only in state elections. Was there a pre-poll alliance in 2004?

    The UPA was formed after the elections and ruled for two terms. Currently, the need is that all opposition parties first fight strongly to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and then think about a post-poll coalition.

    Would the CPM go with the TMC if the latter forges a non-Congress, non-BJP front with parties like TRS, DMK?

    Again, I am repeating that talks about pre-poll alliances or Third Front are premature. The TMC, just a few days ago, had marred the local bodies’ elections in West Bengal with violence. In Bengal, the CPM lost 229 comrades between 2011 and 2021 and around 1,02,000 sympathisers were driven away from their homes. More than 1,30,000 of our members were implicated in false cases.

    The TMC, having been a part of the BJP-led NDA, is today ranged against the BJP. But it continues with its anti-CPM actions. It is aspiring to be the leader of the anti-BJP forces at the national level. We are neither against such aspirations of any party nor in support till we pull down the BJP from power.

    In its draft political resolution, the CPM has noted that the Congress party’s political strength is on a decline. Will you be inclined towards joining a coalition led by it?

    Our objective is to defeat the BJP in the next parliamentary elections. Whichever party in opposition works on this objective, we can have an ‘electoral understanding’ with them for the common goal… There can’t be a political alliance with the Congress party. But the CPM will continue supporting all secular parties in their efforts to defeat the BJP.

    TMC supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee recently telephoned her Tamil Nadu and Telangana counterparts suggesting a meeting of all opposition CMs over governors overstepping constitutional mandate in non-BJP states. Will the CM of your party join such a meeting if it is held?

    This does not carry much political significance for us. The most important task for us is to educate and polarise the people against the BJP-led government that has ruined the future of the youth. 

    Will the results of state polls have a bearing on opposition strategies against the BJP?

    Yes, they will. But despite that, there is a need to work objectively to make the people aware of the BJP-led government’s utter failure in sorting out country’s basic problems. At the national level, five Left parties have given joint calls for action on various issues and we will continue fighting to first pull down the BJP from power and then think of anything further.

    It is said that the Opposition lacks a face to counter Modi. With this handicap, how will they be able to oust the BJP?

    Let me make it clear that it’s not a presidential election that will be held in 2024 for which a face is required. It is the parliamentary elections, which will be fought on issues plaguing the country’s prosperity and peace.  

  • Many CPM workers killed in Tripura in last four years: Manik Sarkar hits out at BJP

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: Leader of Opposition in Tripura Assembly Manik Sarkar has alleged that many CPI(M) leaders and workers have been murdered in the state in the past four years of the BJP-IPFT rule.

    “As many as 24 CPI(M) leaders and workers were murdered in the past four years and justice has not been done to none. The things will not move on in the way they (BJP-IPFT) think”, Sarkar said while speaking to reporters at Kamalpur in South Tripura district on Monday.

    However, the ruling dispensation strongly denied the allegations of political murders in Tripura after 2018 Assembly elections.

    “This was for the first time, no political murder took place after 2018 Assembly elections. Earlier, we used to witness heavy post poll violence”, said BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee.

    Sharply criticizing the BJP-IPFT government, the former chief minister said an-one sided rule is installed in the state.

    “People voices are being throttled. Elections are not taking place in a free and fair manner,” he said.

    Sarkar said the people, who had been befooled prior to 2018 Assembly elections have started realizing that they have made a big mistake.

    “The BJP MLAs, who had deserted the party and joined the Congress have been openly criticizing the BJP led government. Now, they are repenting for joining the saffron party with folding hands”, he said in an indirect reference to Sudip Roy Barman and Asish Saha quitting the saffron party and joining the Congress.

    “A new storm is hovering in the state. Now, the time has come for an eyeball to eyeball protest to the wrongdoings of the government”, he said.

  • Civic polls: Trinamool on course for big win in four municipal corporations in Bengal

    By PTI

    KOLKATA; The Trinamool Congress on Monday was ahead in all the four municipal corporations in West Bengal where polls were held on February 12, as per data available on the State Election Commission’s website.

    In Bidhannagar, the TMC won 24 of the 41 seats and was ahead in 10, while the Congress won in one ward, according to the SEC website at 11 am.

    The ruling party clinched 10 of the 47 seats in Siliguri and was leading in three wards, and both the BJP and the CPI(M) have won two seats each.

    #WATCH | TMC workers celebrate in North 24 Parganas as the party sweeps the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation election. #WestBengalCivicPolls pic.twitter.com/aZxFkd6PFB
    — ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2022
    In Chandannagar, the TMC bagged 12 out of 32 seats and was ahead in nine, while the CPI(M) won in one ward.

    The TMC pocketed 28 of 106 seats in Asansol and was leading in seven wards, the data showed, adding, the BJP emerged triumphant in three wards and the CPI(M) in two.

    Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee thanked people for her party’s “thumping win” in the civic polls, calling it a victory of the masses.

  • CPM leaders Prakash Karat, his wife Brinda tests COVID-19 positive

    By PTI

    HYDERABAD: CPI (M) senior leaders Prakash Karat and his wife Brinda Karat have tested positive for COVID-19, a senior leader of the Left party said on Monday.

    CPI(M) Telangana Secretary Veerabhadram said the leaders were in the city to attend the party’s Central Committee meeting held from January 7-9.

    “They had fever on Saturday night (December 8). They tested positive for the virus on Sunday. They were taken to a private hospital for other tests,” the CPI (M) leader told PTI.

    CPI (M) sources said both the leaders did not attend the meeting on Sunday and were in isolation at the party’s office here.

    He further said party cadre and leaders who came in contact with them have undergone COVID-19 tests and are safe.

    Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, and former Tripura CM Manik Sarkar were among those attended the meeting.