After successive electoral defeats, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) went in for a generational shift in its West Bengal unit on Friday, a year ahead of the next Assembly elections in the State. Septuagenarian Biman Bose stepped down after nine years to facilitate the “unanimous” election of Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Surjya Kanta Mishra, as State Secretary following four days of intense discussion in the State Conference.
Announcing the changes at the helm, Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said no name, other than that of Mr. Mishra, was proposed for the top job. “Thus there was no question of any contest,’’ Mr. Yechury told journalists and added that Dr. Mishra’s name “was proposed for the post by Mr. Bose, and seconded by Polit Bureau member and former Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.’’
Apart from the State Secretary, a new State Committee was also elected in the four-day conference. In the newly elected State Committee 21 members have been inducted and among them 19 are from the younger generation. Eleven senior leaders including former Speaker of the Assembly Hasim Abdul Halim have been included as special invitees. However, the party’s new State Secretariat would be elected in the upcoming Party Congress to be held in April.
Mr. Bose – who was elected State secretary in 2006 after the untimely death of party stalwart Anil Biswas — said it had been decided that 10 new entrants would be inducted as permanent invitees to the State Committee. “We had adopted a policy in the State Conference that the new entrants will not be over 60 years old,” he said.
Asked about the challenges facing the CPI(M) in Bengal, Dr. Mishra said his party would definitely be in the battle in the upcoming civic polls in the State. “From March [2015] to March [2016] it is indeed the time to march ahead,” he added with reference to next year’s Assembly elections.
Speaking to The Hindu from Mumbai – en route to Nasik for the Maharashtra State Conference – Mr. Yechury billed the organisational rejig in West Bengal as “change with continuity’’ aimed at a smooth transition.
“Given Mr. Mishra’s experience in the Assembly, he is more hands-on in dealing with the problems facing the party and more in tune with the aspirations of the youth.’’
It is said that the youth had shifted to the Trinamool Congress in earlier elections and is now gravitating towards the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in the ascendant in the State.
