CPM to meet in Delhi over poll debacle

Express News Service Posted: May 29, 2008 at 0120 hrs
Kolkata, May 28 The Central Committee of the CPM, the highest policy making body of the party, will discuss the rural poll setback in a two-day meeting to begin in Delhi from tomorrow.

The party leaders had deliberated upon the issue in the state committee meeting that was held in Kolkata on May 25-26. The meeting was attended by the party general secretary Prakash Karat.

In the Delhi meeting, Karat will submit a report based on the state committee analysis of the poll results. Senior party leaders including Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, CPM state secretary Biman Bose and state Commerce and Industries Minister Nirupam Sen will attend the meeting.

Party sources say that Bose will discuss the issue after Karat submits the report. The report will prepare a preliminary analysis of the party’s defeat at the various tiers of panchayat bodies across the state and at the Zilla Parishads of East Midnapore, North Dinajpur and South 24-Parganas.

The meeting is expected to chalk out the damage control strategies and strengthen the eroding base of the party at the grassroots level, especially among the Muslim vote bank.

According to sources, central leaders of the party are of the opinion that apart from the land acquisitions issue, factors like ration riots, price hike and lack of unity among the Left Front partners caused the poll debacle.