The district conference of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] that will be inaugurated by party State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan at Ernakulam Town Hall on Tuesday will focus on building on the party’s new-found strength in Ernakulam, traditionally a Congress stronghold.
The three-day meeting will discuss strategy to strengthen the party at the grassroots, with ways to maintain the traction it has gained among the youth over the past three years. This is possible in the wake of the humanitarian and environmental campaigns taken up by the party in the district, senior leaders believe.
Plagued by faction feuds
With faction feuds that had troubled the party in the district earlier remaining largely at bay for sometime, ways would be thought of to break the Congress’s consistency in improving vote share by leaps in Assembly seats it wins. The CPI(M) thinks it has done reasonably well by clinching power in 37 grama panchayats in the district, improving its show from earlier when it only held seven panchayats. “Over the years, we were able to attract more youth. They form nearly 8% of our total members in the district. It was less than 4% during the last conference,” said district secretary P. Rajeev.
The organic farming initiative, palliative care drive, the unique campaign as part of which the party workers restored some 30 water bodies and the drive to build 30 houses for the homeless as part of the district conference have all been well received, he says. But also to come up for discussion are vexing issues like allegations of malpractices levelled against Kalamassery area secretary Zakir Hussain, who was removed and later reinstated by the party.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will address a public gathering as part of the conference on January 18.
