Kolkata: In a major jolt to the state CPI(M) ahead of the crucial forthcoming Assembly polls, the party’s state committee member Pratik Ur Rahaman resigned from the party on Monday, stating that he was unable to align himself with the leadership’s views and strategies on some issues.
Rising from student politics, Rahaman became the CPI(M)’s candidate in the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha Constituency in 2024. He was pitted against Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
“I am unable to align with the party’s district and State leadership’s views and strategies on some issues in recent times,” Rahaman stated in his resignation letter. The former state secretary of the SFI Bengal unit, Rahaman, sent his resignation letter to the CPI(M) state secretary and politburo member of the party, Md Salim, on Sunday.
Rahaman has quit the party, saying that he could not cope with certain party policies. According to his resignation letter, Rahaman could not adjust to several activities and policies of the party in recent times. This is why he quit all portfolios, including membership of the CPI(M). In a recent social media post, Rahaman had said that one cannot be part of a Communist party without principles and ideology.
Sources in CPI(M) said that the party leaders will speak to Rahaman on the issue. Sources also said that Rahaman might have been upset over Salim’s meeting with suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir.
After Humayun was suspended by Trinamool Congress for his “controversial activities”, he formed a new politi)cal platform Janata Unnayan Party (JUP), and called for an electoral alliance against the ruling party.
“I don’t have any personal grudge against anybody. I have informed my decision to the party leadership, and no one from the party has contacted me so far. It’s our party’s internal matter, and I won’t make further comments,” Rahaman told the media after submitting his resignation.
Reacting to this, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “It’s an internal matter within their party. CPI(M) has surrendered to BJP. It is obvious that not all their leaders agree with the party policy of opposing the ruling party blindly.”