The day the Purba Medinipur district committee of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) had a split, the party reconstituted the district committee, announcing eight new names.
In the presence of 36 members of the Purba Medinipur district committee, the new members were inducted on Saturday. Four of the eight members were admitted as permanent invitees. The newly inducted members are Tapas Sinha, Sheikh Inrahim Ali, Amal Kuila and Chandrasekhar Panja, while permanent invitees are Sushanta Karan, Bharat Maiti, Sheikh Sahidullah and Prajapati Das.
On the other hand, the district secretariat members who left the party on Saturday included several heavyweights like the wife of formidable, albeit expelled, CPI (M) leader Lakshman Seth. Mer Seth’s wife, Tamalika Panda Seth left CPI-M, with Amiya Sahu, Ashoke Guriya and Sudarshan Manna.
Mr. Seth’s associates announced the formation of a new platform ‘Bharat Nirman Manch’, which will be floated next Friday in Kolkata.
The CPI (M) leadership convened a press conference on Saturday to say that the party had “no option” but to expel the rebels. State secretariat member Rabin Deb said that those who were keen to “elect Mamata Banerjee as prime minister and eventually campaigned for All India Trinamool Congress had to be expelled.”
Mr. Seth earlier said that Ms Banerjee has emerged has a “true” leader and there was “no harm” in extending support to her.
Speaking to The Hindu earlier, Mr Seth emphasized the “need to form a secular front” to address the grievances of “Dalits and religious minorities.”
He had severely criticised the party’s top leadership, including former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya for the electoral debacle reducing options for the party to engage in any negotiation. Many felt, in order to avert arrest, as his name featured in several criminal cases, Mr. Seth went against his party and leadership.
Mr. Seth, however, denied the allegation.
