The CPM had instructed all its frontal organisations to hit the streets in protest against the price rise. The Left Front, which the party heads, held a rally on the issue on Monday and will continue the agitation against the price rise for the next month.

Worried CPM sources have been pointing out that ever since the party suffered reverses in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, its rank and file have been lying idle, with many choosing to distance themselves from the party. This inactivity was been particularly evident among the youth cadres for the past year.

“The party has now asked its youth leaders to organise agitations against the UPA government to galvanise the cadres. The CPM feels that the price rise issue can serve as one of the most potent issues around which to organise a movement,” said a leader.

DYFI state unit president Pratim Ghosh said that roads in Kolkata had been blocked at 20 spots on Tuesday. These include the Shyambazar five-point crossing, Moulali, and the Hazra and Rashbehari crossings.