Alimuddin Street satraps on Wednesday directed district committees to ensure a huge turnout at the Brigade Parade Ground rally scheduled to be held on February 19. In the state committee meeting, which concluded on Wednesday, the CPI(M), determined to mount a massive show of strength at the sprawling venue, even fixed a target for different districts. Kolkata and North 24 Parganas districts, for instance, have been asked to send more than two lakh supporters each to the rally ground. South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Burdwan have been asked to contribute over one lakh supporters each. This will be the first Brigade Parade Ground rally which the CPI(M) is organising not as the ruling party but as the Opposition Party and the party leadership is leaving no stone unturned to make it a grand show.
“A large turnout at the Brigade Parade Ground will serve a dual purpose: it will galvanise the demoralised party supporters across the state and it will also send a message to Mamata Banerjee that the CPI(M) is not a spent force,” a CPI(M) state committee member said, adding that party general secretary Prakash Karat along with former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattachar-jee will address the rally.
The Marxist mandarins have also asked party ranks to make the bandh called by all the major Central trade unions including Intuc and BMS (Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangha) on February 29 a success, ignoring the whips of the ruling Trinamul Congress in the state.
The preparations for the state conference, particularly a stock taking of the ground reality in districts, featured in the discussions.
The state party also presented the draft political and organisational reports to be placed in the state conference for deliberation. Significantly, some district leadership came down heavily on the state party and sought some amendments of the draft proposition.
Seeing the anger of a section party leadership, party state secretary Biman Bose asked party rank and file not to be “impatient” at this critical phase of the party. He urged to overcome the sense of despondency that has engulfed them following the Left Front’s exit from power.
Buoyed by Sushanta Ghosh’s (who will also be present in the rally) release on bail, the party mandarins have now decided to take on the Trinamul Congress and not to surrender without a fight. The party leadership is asking the party ranks to shed the “defeatist mindset” and get ready for a prolonged battle.