RSP is forced to vacate Delhi HQ

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar (from right to left), Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj,

After 35 years, the Left Front partner, Revolutionary Socialist Party, is being forced to give up its national headquarters in the national capital, for lack of representation in Rajya Sabha. The RSP was denied a Rajya Sabha seat as the lone Upper House berth from West Bengal went to CPI(M) member Sitaram Yechury. This is the first in over three decades the Revolutionary Socialist Party has gone without any member in the Rajya Sabha.
“We will now have to wait till 2016 before we can even hope to make a comeback,” Veteran RSP leader Abani Roy told this newspaper as he packed his belongings and wound up RSP’s office at 17, Ferozeshah Road, handing over the bunglow to the Estate Branch of the Parliament House and the CPWD on Monday.
Mr Roy has paid Rs. 1.5 lakh so far to retain the office. He said that he had extended his stay at the bunglow for three months by paying the market rent of `50, 000 per month. “The party retained the bunglow for three months on market rent,” he said.
The Left parties historic drubbing in the West Bengal Assembly polls this year led Mr Roy losing his Rajya Sabha seat. Conceding it to be a ‘’sad moment’’ for the party, he said that he cannot blame the major left party for it since the CPI(M) too is dwindling in numbers in the Parliament. “They are also going less in numbers. They will not allow a seat to us,” he said.
It was founder member of the RSP, Tridib Choudhary who won a Lok Sabha seat in 1952 and thereafter got nominated to the Upper House in 1988.
He said the bunglow was in his possession of the RSP since 1976 provided as accommodation to a Member of Parliament. On its future course of action, the 71 year old Left leader said that Revolutionary Socialist Party has a small office space in Old Delhi. “Our party headquarters are in Kolkata. So we will operate mainly from there,” he said as he prepared to leave for Kolkata.