Rajendra Sharma from Sriganganagar THE people of Rajasthan are in no mood to give a clear verdict in favour of either the BJP or the Congress. Hinting at new possibilities hidden in this situation, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and leader of CPI(M) group in Rajya Sabha, Sitaram Yechury pointed out that this can create an opening for pushing pro-people decisions in the next assembly. He was addressing a big election meeting at Sadulsahar Anaj Mandi on 24th November. CPI(M) has fielded its old warhorse, the much respected leader, Hetram Beniwal from this constituency. He has been MLA once and also lost another election by a margin of only 500 votes. Campaigning for strengthening the hands of CPI(M) in assembly, pointing towards its glorious record of popular struggles and fighting for alternative policies, Yechury expressed confidence of maximum utilisation of these possibilities. In this connection, Yechury talked of how post 2004 general election Left’s intervention at national level ensured that the UPA government, despite its reluctance, passed National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Right to Information Act, Forest Rights Act and even the Right to Education law. Besides local leaders and Hetram Beniwal, CPI(M) central secretariat member and incharge of Rajasthan, Hannan Mollah also addressed the huge crowd. Poor women, largely MNREGA labour, were present in huge numbers. The meeting ended with a procession led by Yechury and Beniwal, briefly passing through the Mandi area. In Sriganganagar district, a traditional base of Red flag, CPI(M) has put up its candidates in four assembly segments out of a total of six. It has repeated its outgoing MLA, Pawan Duggal from Anupgarh. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat along with Mollah campaigned for Kewal Singh contesting from Karnapur on 22nd November. Karat also addressed election meetings at Peelibangan in Hanumangarh and Neemka thana in Sikar district. Raisinghnagar candidate Sheopat Ram Meghwal is also putting up a good fight. In the largely rural constituency of Sadulsahar, while both the Congress and the BJP face serious internal dissensions, as the traditional dominant families are deprived of ticket by both the parties, CPI(M)’s candidate has a distinct image advantage as a fighter for poor people’s causes, including historical canal water agitation. HANUMANGARH REGION Hanumangarh district of western Rajasthan, once considered bastion of Left under the leadership of legendary communist and Kisan leader Comrade Sheopat Singh, appears to be seeing a sort of revival of fortunes. For elections on 01st December, the CPI(M) is contesting from all the five assembly seats in this district. This includes mainly urban Hanumangarh seat, held more than once by Comrade Sheopat Singh himself. After a break of ten years, the Party has put up young advocate and DYFI state president, Raghuveer Verma from this constituency. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury campaigned for Verma, addressing an impressive meeting at Dhan Mandi in Hanumangarh town on 25th November. Addressing a large and responsive crowd, includin a big number of poor women, Yechury termed the BJP’s divisive agenda as politics of Dussashan (ill-governance) and Congress’s ruling class politics, as politics of Sinhasan ( throne). He appealed for strengthening politics of Jansashan (people’s rule) represented by CPI(M). Predicting a hung assembly in the state, Yechury called for sending larger number of CPI(M) members into the new assembly so that opening is created for pushing ahead decisions and policies favouring the poor and working masses. Besides candidate Raghuveer Verma and other local leaders, CPI(M) central secretariat member Hannan Mollah and CPI(M) Haryana state secretary and central committee member Inderjeet Singh also addressed the meeting. Establishing itself as the main political force fighting for people’s interests, one of the many sustained struggles the CPI(M) has launched in this district is that of MNREGA workers. In a district where leaders of both leading bourgeoisie parties actually want to see this employment guarantee scheme stalled to depress rural wages, the Party has fought for keeping it going, expanding work under the scheme, increasing the number of work days to 200 in a year and daily wage rate to Rs 300. The Party has led struggle even for making the NREGA scheme workers, ‘Mates’ regular government employees. These ‘mates’ measure the work done and calculate wages of NREGA workers. No surprise that poor rural women workers, largely from socially weaker sections in large numbers are specially active for CPI(M) candidates. Similar is the story of scheme workers. Beside various issues concerning peasantry, CPI(M) here has also taken up issues including declaring the district as a rice belt, utilising Ghaghar water, making toll roads more accessible to local rural people and even improving law and order situation. Balram Punia, contesting as CPI(M) candidate from Bhadara, is said to have a distinct edge over his Congress and BJP rivals. A recognised Kisan leader of the area, he has led struggle on questions of water and electricity. Braving government repression on these agitations, he also led the fight against liquor mafia and its anti-social activities. Punia also faced a nearly fatal physical attack be the same mafia. Besides large number of kisan workers, students and youth in huge numbers are campaigning for the CPI(M) candidate here. In the recently held students union elections, SFI has won in four out of five collages here. In the previous assembly election Punia had polled more than 15,000 votes. CPI(M) district secretary Rameshwar Verma told PD that Party candidates Maniram from Pilibanga constituency and Jagjeet Singh Jaggi from Sangaria constituency are also putting up good fight. LAXMANGARH REGION A vote to CPI(M) is not only a vote to our Party or only a vote for our candidate. This is a vote for yourself as it will increase your voice in the coming assembly. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and leader of the Party group in Rajya Sabha, Sitaram Yechury said while campaigning for CPI(M) candidate B S Meel in Laxmangarh constituency on 25th November. He underlined that Rajasthan is likely to see a hung assembly and the strength of the Left can play a crucial role in pushing forward pro-people steps and policies. Calling upon people not to miss this opportunity, Yechury made a special appeal of increasing Left’s representation from Sikar district, which last time gave CPI(M) two out of the total of eight assembly seats. This predominantly rural constituency is one likely candidate for increasing CPI(M) representation in the assembly. The huge rally held at Ramlila maidan was also addressed by leader of CPI(M) group in assembly Amara Ram and Party central secretariat member Hannan Mollah beside other state and local leaders. Tripura CM Manik Sarkar also campaigned for CPI(M) candidates in the district and addressed two big rallies in Dhondh and Khandela assembly constituencies.