Greetings on CPI(M) Victory in Theog

CPI(M)  Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on December 18, 2017.

THE Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) congratulates the people of Theog assembly constituency in Himachal Pradesh for electing the CPI(M) candidate Rakesh Singha. This victory is all the more significant as it comes in the background of a highly polarised election between two major parties.

This victory reflects the faith the people of Theog have reposed in the CPI(M) to protect their rights and work for people's interests in the Himachal Pradesh assembly.

The Polit Bureau conveys its greetings to all the Party cadres and supporters who worked for this success in the election.

THE results of the 13th Himachal Pradesh assembly elections were declared on December 18, 2017. The BJP got a clear majority in these elections, winning 44 seats. The Congress party won 20, two seats by independents and one by the CPI(M).

The main feature of this election was that many important leaders of both the Congress and the BJP got defeated. The chief ministerial candidate of BJP, Prem Kumar Dhumal, BJP state president and five cabinet ministers were defeated.

The Himachal Pradesh voters reacted in the same manner as they have been doing in the past by not allowing a consecutive term for the incumbent government. There is not a repeat of the government since 1990. The anti- incumbency factor is always dominant. The pro-incumbency is recessive.

In the state, two major political parties ie, Congress and BJP have been forming the government successively after every five years. The polarisation during elections is always between these two. The third force in Himachal Pradesh is very weak. In this election, the CPI(M) has emerged as a third political force by winning one seat out of 14 that it contested.

For the election, the CPI(M) and the CPI formed a front. CPI(M)-14, CPI-3, and two independents were supported by our party. For the election, the slogan was to elect CPI(M) and the Left for an effective opposition in the Vidhan Sabha. We explained to the people that we are not for forming the government because we have less political influence in the state. Though the CPI(M)  is fighting continuously against the neo-liberal policies, both the Congress and the BJP are for these policies. And in the assembly, there is no opposition against neo-liberal policies. Both the ruling and opposition parties are one in this regard. Therefore CPI(M)  candidates should be elected to oppose these anti-people policies in the assembly. The Party campaigned against the BJP and the Congress.

Our Party will organise the people against these policies outside the assembly and inside the CPI(M) MLAs will fight against these anti-people policies. Out of the19 candidates, Rakesh Singha from Theog constituency won the election by a margin on 1,983 votes. In other seats except Shimla urban and Kasumpti seats, our votes have increased. Three candidates got less than one thousand and others got respectable votes in a highly polarised situation.

We got votes where our Party and mass fronts are taking up people’s issues and fighting and confrontation is taking place. Where we are just doing routinised work, there the votes are less and we are not marching ahead.

With the victory in Theog and good votes in other constituencies, our cadre is enthused. In future we have to focus on the class issues and take up the social issues also for our advancement.