People's Democracy

CPI(M) Tripura State Committee On 15th Lok Sabha Elections

Haripada Das

THE CPI(M) Tripura  state committee, in a statement issued on June 4, 2009, warmly greeted the people of the state for electing the Left Front  sponsored CPI(M) candidates in both the seats of the state in the recently held 15th Lok Sabha elections. The state committee urged upon all the Left Front workers and sympathisers to plunge into another battle to ensure a far greater victory in the ensuing Panchayat elections and the bye-elections to some vacant seats of different local bodies through consolidating the triumph in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections.

The state committee met on June 2-3, 2009 to review the 15th Lok Sabha elections result and to take stock of the preparedness for ensuing Panchayat election and bye-elections to some vacant seats of village committee and nagar panchayat.

While reviewing the parliamentary election results, the state committee observed that the CPI(M) candidates in the two Lok Sabha seats secured a total of 1.73 lakh more votes then they secured in 2004 elections and 1.22 lakh more votes compared to the assembly elections last year. The factors behind the overwhelming reposition of faith by the people on the Left Front, as identified by the state committee, are: measures of the Left Front  government that helped better maintenance of peace and tranquillity and public security; further alienation of extremists in the state; achievements of the Left Front  government in implementation of innumerable developmental schemes both in urban and rural areas; introduction of various social security schemes for poorer sections of the people; ceaseless struggles waged by the Party and the Left Front  on the issues relating to state�s overall development.

Some of the issues undertaken for campaign movement by the Party and the Left Front  were: issuance of BPL cards to all BPL families; augmentation of PDS by adding some more essential items, demanding cutback of prices of essential commodities; extension of railways from Agartala to Subroom; initiating work in the two proposed power project namely Monarchawk and Palatana power projects etc. At the same time the Left Front government also succeeded in proper implementation of the NREGA and the Forest Rights Act in the state. The pro-people endeavours of the Left Front government attracted a large section of people belonging to opposition Congress and INPT who spontaneously sided with the Left Front and sincerely worked for its victory, the state committee observed. The extensive campaign of the Left Front helped in raising high enthusiasm among the people and this was reflected in the results in which the Left Front secured lead in all the assembly segments of the state. Youth and women sections also massively joined in the Left Front campaign, the statement noted.

Regarding the campaign of the opposition parties, the state committee felt that, being starved of genuine issues, they resorted to slander and misinformation campaign which was firmly rejected by the people. The negative attitude and the Congress party�s alliance with INPT, commonly known as a patron of outlawed extremist outfits, were also rejected by the people, the CPI(M) state committee asserted.

To maintain the tradition of Left Front�s victory, the state committee urged upon all the Party and Left Front workers and sympathisers to chalk out an extensive campaign programme to reach out to the people about the electoral pledges and programmes of the Left Front government. At the same time, an approach should be made to win over the people still suffering from illusion and lying with the opposition. Certainly it is imperative to forge a political-organisational preparedness so that some of the gram panchayats now under the clutches of the vested interests may be wrested this time in the coming polls.

The state committee emphasised on the necessity of expediting the implementation of the developmental schemes in ADC areas. It stressed on the importance of organising ceaseless campaign exposing the negative attitude of some opposition leaders of Congress party. The committee also urged upon the government agencies to carefully and speedily implement the package schemes for various social sections adopted by the government.

While reviewing the renewal position of Party membership for the year 2009, the state committee stated that the total number of Party members this year stands at 72,558, which is 4.25 per cent higher than the last year�s tally. The state committee advised the members of all tiers to carry on continuous ideological and organisational struggle to keep the Party free from anti-communist and feudal vices and sharpen the class and ideological consciousness of the Party members.

At the outset, the state committee remembered the martyrs who had laid down their lives during last Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal and the subsequent victims  of Aila cyclone in South Bengal. It expressed condolences for the bereaved families.