Since its inception in 1939, All India Forward Bloc, a major Left Front constituent, has never received a blow like the one it would receive on Sunday. At least 1,500 party workers and leaders will join the BJP — a force that they opposed all these years — during a “special programme” in central Kolkata. If one of the rebel leaders, Anirban Chowdhury, former secretary of Yuva League, AIFB’s student wing, is to be believed “many State, district and local committee members” would follow suit. Yuva League president Ajoy Agnihotri will also join the BJP. Few months back, since the expulsion of two senior State committee members by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the desertion of mid-level the biggest blow to the Left Front in Bengal.
The AIFB, the party founded by Subhash Chandra Bose, is the second largest constituent of the Left Front in the State Assembly after the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The party was facing severe challenges from inside after last Lok Sabha election, when it received, 0.2 per cent of votes, even less than CPI at the national level. The youth leaders were vocal about party’s constitution and “internal democracy”.
“We did question the highest leadership,” said Mr. Chowdhury.
The main allegations were two fold. “Why would not the party change the leaders who are sitting at the top for decades is one question we raised and they snubbed us,” said Mr. Chowdhury. The secretary-general of the party Debabrata Biswas indeed said a few days back that “the disgruntled elements can leave” the party. So the top leadership of the Yuva League surrendered their membership and acting office-bearers were eventually announced. Both Mr Choudhury and Mr Agnihotri were state committee members of AIFB, till the beginning of this month.
The AIFB leadership, however, tried to brush aside the issue saying that leaders have deserted the party because their “personal aspirations were not fulfilled”.
“The two Yuva League leaders have recently submitted their resignation and their resignation has been accepted by the party. We are confident that other comrades of the Yuva Legaue will not follow them,” Jayanta Roy, State committee member and senior leader of AIFB said. Mr. Roy described the claims made by BJP that the “entire youth wing of the party has joined the BJP” as “gossip”.
