CPI(M) politburo member and former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday asked his party cadres to cash in on the growing disenchantment among the people against the Mamata Banerjee government in the coming panchayat polls.
“The way the state is being governed, people are seeing with their own eyes. Even those who had voted against us have become totally disillusioned. They are asking themselves that what government we voted out and what government have we brought to power,” he added. Mr Bhattacharjee was addressing a party workers’ conference in Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas district.
Mr Bhattacharjee claimed that the current government has totally failed on both industry and agriculture front. “This government had not been able to add anything to the industrialisation that we had done in the state. This government has no land policy nor an industrial policy. Today there is no power shortage simply because there is no demand for power because of lack of industry,” he added.
Mr Bhattacharjee claimed that even the condition of the farmers had worsened in the past 18 months. “Paddy procurement is in disarray. Farmers are not getting right price for their crops. We had not imagined that agriculture would collapse within such a short period,” he added.
Mr Bhattacharjee said that the less said about the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the better. “Look what has happened in Dubrajpur and Haldia. In short, anarchy is prevailing in the state. The anti-social elements today feel that the present government is their friends. In such a situation it is your duty to increase public contact to create mass awareness by going from house to house,” he added.
He asked the CPI(M) cadres to prepare themselves both physically and mentally for the panchayat elections. “We do not know with certainty when will the rural polls take place but we have a feeling that these will be held in end-January or early February. You should therefore start preparations without delay,” he said.
Mr Bhattacharjee party cadres to increase public contact, hold booth committee meetings, shortlist names of women candidates and organise public movements. The Left Front is launching a signature campaign in the country demanding food security from December 3. “In the state we must collect one crore signatures,” he added. Apart from the state government the Left will also target the UPA government at the Centre for allowing the entry of FDI in multi-brand retail. “This move will spell disaster for the common people,” Mr Bhattacharjee claimed.