AT the time of filing this report, when the Shiv Sena-BJP on the one hand, and the Congress-NCP on the other, are still continuing with their bitter fight for a greater number of state assembly seats and consequently for the chief ministership, CPI(M) candidates in many constituencies have started filing their nomination forms from September 20 with enthusiastic mass rallies of thousands of people.

The CPI(M) is contesting 20 state assembly seats in this election as a part of the LDF which comprises the CPI, PWP, JD(S) and two Republican Party groups. Seat adjustment talks are also on with the BRP-Bahujan Mahasangh led by Prakash Ambedkar, two groups of the Lal Nishan Party etc.

As per the superstitious Hindu practice of not carrying out any important work during a fortnight that is known as Pitru Paksha (in which one is supposed to remember one’s ancestors), not a single major candidate of any major bourgeois party filed his nomination papers from September 20 to 24. This is because the leadership of all major bourgeois parties refrained even from announcing their candidates during this so-called ‘inauspicious’ fortnight. The Navratri festival begins from September 25 and there will now be a mad rush to declare the names of candidates and to fill their nomination forms for three days from September 25 to 27, which is the last day for nominations.  

The CPI(M) was perhaps one of the few parties whose leading candidates openly defied this superstition and filed their nominations in precisely that period. They included candidates like Narsayya Adam from Solapur Central, J P Gavit from Kalwan (ST), Dr D L Karad from Nashik West, Barkya Mangat from Dahanu (ST), Vilas Babar from Pathri, Hemkant Samant from Bhandup West and Rameshchandra Dahiwade from Ballarpur. This was favourably commented upon by the media.

IMPRESSIVE

RALLIES

On September 24, a massive public meeting of over 25,000 people was held despite torrential rains in Solapur city after the nomination form of CPI(M) Central Committee member Narsayya Adam was filed. A huge rally in pouring rain marched across Solapur city to the sprawling Home Maidan.

The main speaker at the public meeting was CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury who attacked the blatant anti-people policies and the stinking corruption of the Congress-NCP state government that has been in power for the last 15 years, and also the very same pro-rich policies and communal conspiracies of the BJP-Shiv Sena combine, which has come to power at the centre three months ago. He said that the results of the by-elections in several states in the last one month have shown the rebuff given by the people to the Narendra Modi regime in just its first 100 days of office. He called for the massive victory of the CPI(M) candidate and the Left and secular forces.

Apart from the candidate Narsayya Adam, the public meeting was also addressed by CPI(M) state secretary Dr Ashok Dhawale, state secretariat member Mariam Dhawale, and by leaders of Left and secular parties like Tanaji Thombre (CPI), Channappa Savalgi (JD-S), Lalit Babar (AAP) and Bashir Shaikh (General Kamgar Union), while CPI(M) state committee member M H Shaikh presided.

On September 23, another massive rally and public meeting of over 15,000 people was held at Dahanu in Palghar (old Thane) district to file the nomination form of CPI(M) candidate Barkya Mangat. This rally overwhelmingly comprised Adivasi men and women. Apart from the candidate, the public meeting was addressed by Dr Ashok Dhawale, state secretariat members Dr Kishore Theckedath and Mariam Dhawale, state committee members Lahanu Kom and L B Dhangar and other local leaders, while it was presided over by state committee member Edward Vartha.

On September 22, a 10,000-strong rally and public meeting was held at Pathri in the Parbhani district of Marathwada region to file the nomination form of Vilas Babar. This was addressed by Dr Ashok Dhawale, state secretariat member P S Ghadge, state committee member Ramkrishna Shere, and district secretariat members Limbaji Kachre, Deepak Lipne, Rameshwar Poul, Kirtikumar Burande and by the elected CPI(M) member of the Parbhani Panchayat Samiti, Anjali Babar.

Similar impressive rallies were held to file the forms of Dr D L Karad in Nashik West, J P Gavit in Kalwan (ST), Hemkant Samant in Bhandup West and Rameshchandra Dahiwade in Ballarpur. The forms of the other CPI(M) candidates will be filed in the next three days till September 27.

The Vidhan Sabha election campaign will pick up after the last date of withdrawal of nominations on October 1. The one-day voting is scheduled to be held on October 15.

CPI(M) central leaders Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat, Hannan Mollah, Nilotpal Basu, Mohd Salim, Subhashini Ali and Jitendra Choudhury will take part in the election campaign and will address rallies in various parts of Maharashtra from October 5 to 13.