Spate of CPI (M) conferences to end by December end, 24th state conference on January-29-31

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, November 5, 2024

At a time when the entire party is seized with the issue of having a new all India general secretary elected or selected by the next 24th party congress, the CPI (M) in Tripura has been holding its spate of Branch , Local, Subdivisional and Divisional committee conferences across the state, evoking only lukewarm response from party faithfuls. Sources from within the party said that the CPI (M) has 258 local committees and about 3 thousand branch committees across the state. Most of the conferences at the branch and local committee level have already concluded while the rest along with the subdivisional and divisional conferences will have to be rounded off within the month of December. The 24th state conference will be held in Agartala Town Hall for three days from January 29 to 31. In the upcoming state conference incumbent state secretary Jiten Chowdhury is likely to be confirmed in his post again for one more term at the very least though a lobby opposed to him may put up a rival candidate . But in case election happens in the event of a rival candidate throwing in his hat in the ring Jiten Chowdhury’s victory in the election is almost a certainty.

Regarding the proceedings in the ongoing and just-concluded series of conferences sources in the party said that the drive to induct new faces in the leadership has practically failed as the incumbent office-bearers are determined to retain their posts while new generation of youths evince no interest in joining active politics under the banner of the CPI (M). “What is strange is that the new buzzword for induction of new faces has near totally flopped as the tired old faces remain determined and even engage in jockeying for retaining posts ; at the moment the new generation is not at all interested in joining the CPI (M) ; the membership of the party has also significantly dwindled” sources said. They also pointed out that the SFI which used to attract new members to the party at the initial stage is almost totally dysfunctional while the DYFI leaders enroll fake members by writing names at home and often pay the subscriptions to the main party from their own pockets. “The condition is so pathetic that SFI leader Sandipan Deb retains his position by oganising a demonstration in front of the ‘Shiksha Bhawan’ office with 5/6 people while DYFI leaders organise processions between Paradise Chaumuhuni and Kaman Chaumuhuni with at most 25/30 people once in a blue moon and remain in positions ; no new face is ever seen” said sources.

Apart from this, the choice of a replacement of deceased Sitaram Yechudi as party’s all India general secretary is also an important issue though the Tripura unit of the party has little role to play in this regard. The CPI (M)’s 24th party congress is slated to come off in April next year in Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Sources said that former general secretary Prakash Karat who was nominated as co-ordinator between central committee and politburo after Sitaram Yechudi’s death may be affirmed in the post though his advanced age may stand in the way. M.A.Baby, a longstanding member of central committee and politburo from Kerala is also likely to be conferred the charge of party’s all India general secretary but the final decision will be taken in the party congress.