Kolkata, July 7 (IANS) As internal factionalism in the Trinamool Congress becomes more acute with every passing day, the CPI(M), which currently has only one representative in the West Bengal Assembly, is working on a well-calculated strategy to regain the space of the principal opposition party in the state as fast as possible.

The logic of the CPI(M) leadership on this count is simple. While the “original and minority” faction in Trinamool Congress led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee has virtually turned into rubble now, the rival “rebel but majority” faction led by expelled Trinamool Congress legislator Ritabrata Banerjee lacks the credibility to establish itself as the true face of the opposition against the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in the state.

While accepting the fact that the Congress has two MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly currently, one more than the CPI(M), the Marxist leadership in the state believes the oldest national party in the country, having its organisational strength limited to a few districts like Malda, Murshidabad, North Dinajpur and Purulia, does not have the organisational capability to organise issue-based protest movements throughout the state.

A central committee member of the CPI(M) in West Bengal said that amid all these factors, the situation is ripe for them to organise issue-based protest movements throughout the state and start the process of regaining the space of the principal opposition force in the state on their own, while maintaining coordination with the All India Secular Front, which too has just one MLA but has pocket-based organisational strengths.

Echoing him, CPI(M) state secretariat member Apurba Chattopadhyay said the people of West Bengal have realised that a large section within the Trinamool Congress has become an opposition party created by the BJP.

He said the poor and working-class people have realised that the CPI(M) is giving them hope of achieving their rights, and that is why the crowd at CPI(M) meetings and committees is increasing.

It is learnt that, for the time being, the CPI(M) has identified three broad areas on which it plans to conduct issue-based protest movements throughout the state.

The first issue is the recent hawkers’ eviction drive being conducted by the state administration in various parts of the state, including railway station premises and platforms.

In fact, the recent announcement by the chief minister that the state administration will refrain from hawkers’ eviction drives till Durga Puja in October this year is being projected by the CPI(M) leadership as the result of their sustained movements on this issue.

The second issue is conducting statewide protest demonstrations in West Bengal on certain issues concerning the minority community, like restriction on cow slaughter and the ban on Eid namaz on roads, among others.

Political observers feel that this issue has been picked up by the CPI(M) leadership to restore confidence in their once-dedicated minority vote bank, which had become virtually a Trinamool Congress monopoly for the last 15 years since 2011.

The third issue is the alleged decision of the West Bengal government to replace eggs with vegetarian items in school mid-day meals, which the CPI(M) leadership is portraying as a traditional attempt by the BJP to influence people’s food habits.

–IANS

src/dan