CPM gives local units power to take on Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: West Bengal CPM leadership has agreed in principle to give free hands to it’s lower ranking committees to organise issue-based wildcat movements to mount pressure on Mamata Banerjee’s government before next year’s parliamentary elections.

The party has adopted this new strategy during the two-day state committee meeting which concluded on Sunday. As a result, district, zonal and local committee units of the party would now be able to organise movements in their respective areas on the basis of local issues. These lower units need not obtain prior permission from the state headquarters in Alimuddin Street before going for any wildcat agitation. The state leadership also feel that in many occasion, local party units may have to go for any wildcat movement which in the long run, will benefit the organisation.

It is learnt that CPM state leadership has also agreed to allow local leaders and party units to take on the spot decision collectively regarding any issues and political developments concerning them. All the district, zonal and local committees would now be able to organise movement independently in their areas.

Political observers here feel that by giving free hands to it’s grass root party units, the state CPM is practically trying to revive and activate the smaller units and encourage the local leaders to go for movements which will strengthen the party before next year’s elections. These observers also feel that the CPM, which functions on the concept of democratic centralism, had suffered politically as the party had failed to take any prompt decision in the past on crucial political issues. Now, the local units would be able to function independently and take their own decision. The state leadership, will, however, review and assess the movements which will be launched by the units and advise the lower units about how to strengthen their agitations.