Bengal CPI(M) eyes induction of youths in party before Lok Sabha elections

Kolkata: Failing to win a single seat both in state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the Bengal CPI(M) is now stressing on inducting youth leaders at all levels of party leadership ahead of the next Parliamentary election.

After seeing the crowd at “Insaaf Brigade” organised by CPI(M)’s youth wing, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), in Kolkata on January 7, the party is adopting the strategy of backing youth early before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Sources said youths below 31 will be given priority when it comes to issuing new membership and the senior leaders will play the role of mentors. Recently, a letter issued by the party emphasized distributing new members to the youths to regain political ground that had been lost by the party much ago.

In the “Insaaf Brigade ‘’ rally, the party veterans restricted themselves to the spectator seats while the youth leaders were at the frontline on the dais. The DYFI’s rallying call was, “Jouboner daake, jonogoner brigade (Call of the youth for a people’s Brigade)”. This rally was a culmination of its two-month-long statewide march focussed on jobs and other livelihood issues. Left Front chairman in Bengal, Biman Bose, has stressed on encouraging the youth at different levels of leadership.

A senior Trinamool leader, however, said that it was a futile exercise by the CPI(M) ahead of Lok Sabha polls as they have lost people’s faith. They will not be able to win a single seat this time again, the leader asserted.

A political observer pointed out that the CPI(M) had bet on the youth in the 2021 Assembly elections as well with more than half its candidates being below 40 years old but the strategy failed as its organisation eroded much earlier.