CPI(M) had organised a protest dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on April 16 against the failure of Election Commission of India (ECI) in ensuring free and fair elections in Tripura. The polling for the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat saw large scale violence and rigging by the BJP. Election officials and observers and central forces were not seen in the booths that were “captured”.

WITH two phases over, campaign by the leaders, workers and supporters of CPI(M) is at its peak in West Bengal. The scorching sun and sweltering heat has not been able to act as a dampener to the combative spirit of the comrades. Every nook and cranny of every constituency is being visited by Left activists who have laid more stress on door-to door campaign and people-to-people contact.

UNABLE to sustain its narrative around Pulwama and Balakot and more importantly no tangible achievements to trumpet about, the BJP is back to its time-tested stratagems. BJP president Amit Shah, candidate from Gandhinagar constituency, in a road show at the start of his campaign thundered “Kashmir hamara hai” (Kashmir is ours). This, in a constituency, which, ever since its creation in 1967, has returned the BJP nine out of fourteen times, is a giveaway.

“DIL se Salim, Phir se Salim” is the war cry of the CPI(M) cadres, supporters and people of the Raiganj Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. This constituency with approximately 14 lakh electorate has once been a Congress stronghold with exceptions on certain occasions. The CPI(M) with sustained efforts and enthusiastic campaigning was able to harness the deep-rooted sense of betrayal amongst the common man against the then incumbent member of parliament of the Indian National Congress and wrest the seat from her in 2014.

DESPITE widespread fascist like terror across the state, the Left Front organised an impressive mass meeting in Agartala on April 6 in support of its two candidates.  No vehicle owner dared to lease their buses to carry people to Agartala as BJP threatened them with dire consequences. But braving all terrors people came in thousands.  CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in the  meeting, it’s the call of the hour to re-elect Sankar Prasad Datta from Tripura West constituency. Not because he will speak for the CPI(M) but because, he will voice the demands of  the people in the parli