CPI(M) to review Bengal poll losses, district leaders face action

Following its disastrous performance in recent polls in West Bengal, the CPI(M) has initiated a performance review at the district level, and is likely to take action against members whose work is found unsatisfactory, according to sources.

The party has issued a set of disciplinary guidelines and prepared questions for district committee members in the state.

These will include the percentage of presence of individual district committee members in organisational meetings, frequency of visiting and interacting with people in the respective localities and individual analysis of the reasons behind the party’s poll disaster, said a central committee member of the party, who did not wish to be named.

The responses to these questions will be reviewed by a five-member team of Left Front chairman Biman Bose, party’s state secretary in West Bengal Dr Surjyakanta Mishra, politburo member Md Salim, leader of Left parties in Bengal assembly Sujan Chakraborty and party’s central committee member Robin Deb, among others.

The district committee member whose performance review is not satisfactory will be first cautioned and then relieved of respective duties, the central committee member said.

“In extreme cases, the membership of some will be cancelled. Time has come to relieve inactive members and make space for new, young and active members,” he said.

CPI(M), which once ruled Bengal for 34 years, is fast losing ground to BJP in West Bengal. In the recently held panchayat polls and bypoll to Maheshtala assembly constituency, the Left party came third behind BJP, which has emerged as the principal opposition force in the state.

According to Sujan Chakraborty, the performance review of party members is nothing new for the party and is done to ensure quality membership.

“Times are tough because of the violence of ruling Trinamool Congress and introduction of communal politics by BJP,” he said.

A two-day state committee meeting of the party is scheduled on June 23-24, where the committee will analyse the reasons for the disaster in the polls.

“The answers from different district committee members will be a medium for discussing the reasons of the disaster,” the member said.