CPI(M) starts searching candidates for state Assembly elections

Though the senior leaders of both the Congress and CPI(M) have not yet taken any decision on the proposed electoral alliance, the CPI(M) has started searching candidates who will be fielded in the Assembly elections.

It has been learnt that the CPI(M) is eager to field new faces in the upcoming Assembly polls. 

It may be recalled that in the third plenum of the party held in the city in December last year. 

The main issue was organisational reform and how younger generation could be roped in. The leaders had expressed concern as young people were not joining the party. 

The party’s Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Bhattacharya had said that senior party leaders were behaving like ‘bosses’ and it was tough to get in touch with them.

After analyzing the statements made by the leaders, who attended the plenum from different parts of the country, the party has decided to field young candidates. They are also looking after the proposal to field more women candidates. 

The districts have already started sending names to the state committee for consideration. 

It was learnt that state committee members Madhuja Sen Roy and Sayandeep Mitra are likely to be the candidates. Sen Roy has already earned popularity among young party workers because of her grass root contacts and oratory. Another young comrade Gargi Chattopadhyay, state committee member of Citu, was likely to be included in the list of candidates. SFI leaders, Satarup Ghosh and Debajyoti Das are likely to be in the list. Ghosh had fought election in 2011 and lost to the state fire and emergency services minister  Javed Khan. 

The party is keen on fielding  three important leaders from north 24 parganas as candidates. 

They are Nepaldeb Bhattacharya, Tanmay Bhattacharya and Palash Das. Nepaldeb was very close to the former  transport and youth affairs minister Subhas Chakraborty.  

He was closely associated with drive to free city streets from hawkers by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation called, Operation Sunshine.