TMC dubs CPI-M processions as effort to bring back terror days

KOLKATA: With the Assembly elections in West Bengal scheduled next year, the beleaguered CPI-M is organising processions in rural areas in an attempt to revitalise the organisation, but the ruling Trinamool Congress described the efforts as a bid to bring back the "days of terror" in the state.

The recent alleged attacks on CPI-M processions in some parts of the state, including the one at Nayarangarh in West Midnapore district in which party state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra was present, had led the Marxist leadership to claim that the TMC was staging the assaults because it was afraid of the party getting back its strength.

"The attack itself is a manifestation of TMC's frustration and fear. They are afraid that the masses have become disillusioned with them and with their misrule. That is why they are trying to stop us," Mishra, who is also the Opposition Leader, said.

The TMC leadership, on the other hand, accused the Marxists of trying to unleash terror and capture villages ahead of the Assembly polls in the state in the name of organising 'jathas' (processions).

"They are trying to create a reign of terror ahead of Assembly polls and trying to capture villages. But people will give them a befitting reply," TMC Secretary-General and state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee told PTI.

The CPI-M had organised such programmes at different places in the state in the last few days including Narayangarh, Pingla in West Midnapore and Mayureswar in Birbhum districts where the BJP had made some inroads.

The CPI-M had slipped into a state of disarray after repeated electoral setbacks since the 2011 Assembly election in the state, including the last election to city corporation and panchayats.
A senior CPI-M leader said the signs of revival of his party, the largest constituent in the Left Front, was first witnessed when the combine had managed to increase marginally its vote share in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation election in April, this year.

A few back-to-back political programmes organised by the party since August seemed to have provided much-needed oxygen to the set-up.

Mishra, also a CPI-M politburo member, has threatened to launch a bigger movement if "rule of law is not established in the state within a month".

The TMC leadership, however, characterised the CPI-M's claim of revival as a "bogus" statement.

"You need to counter those who are equal to you. You don't need to counter someone who has been rejected by the masses time and again. So these statements coming from the CPI-M are nothing but statements from those who are living in a fool's paradise," state Food Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick told PTI.

CPI-M politburo member Mohammed Salim said, "The participation of the people in the Jathas itself proves that they are with us and this is what is making the TMC afraid, which is playing a match-fixing game with the BJP."

TMC leader and state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said the government would not tolerate if the CPI-M tried to bring back the days of terror.

"Our party workers were beaten up and injured. They are trying to create terror. Instead of launching democratic movement, they are creating drama saying they are attacked. The people will not believe it," he had said.

Admitting that the party was yet to reach all the 77,000 booths spread across the state, CPI-M Central Committee member Shyamal Chakrabarty said, "As per the present situation we will be able to reach at least 64,000 booths, including those which were a no-entry zone for us due to reign of terror unleashed by the ruling party. But in last one year the situation has changed for better," he said.