FROM April 12 to 20, enthusiastic rallies and public meetings were held by the CPI(M) in all the four Lok Sabha seats that it is contesting in Maharashtra, viz Hingoli, Nashik, Dindori (ST) and Palghar (ST). The main speakers in these different rallies were CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat and M A Baby, Central Secretariat member Nilotpal Basu, Tripura minister Jitendra Chowdhury and state level leaders. In all these rallies, the central leaders of the CPI(M) effectively put across the party’s call of rejecting the Congress, defeating the BJP and strengthening the Left and secular forces. The state leaders and the Lok Sabha candidates who spoke at these rallies concentrated on the political challenges in the state and on the burning issues facing the people in each Lok Sabha seat. Leaders of the CPI and the JD(S) also addressed these meetings in various places. HINGOLI: In the Hingoli seat, three public meetings were held on April 12 and 13 --- at Hingoli (district Hingoli), Umarkhed (district Yavatmal) and Kinwat (district Nanded). These were addressed by CPI(M) Central Secretariat member Nilotpal Basu, Central Committee member and state secretary Dr Ashok Dhawale, and Central Committee member Narsayya Adam. Among the other leaders who addressed some of these meetings were state secretariat members Vijay Gabhane, Udayan Sharma and Prahlad Ghadge, state committee members M H Shaikh, Shankarrao Danav, Arjun Adey and Ramkrishna Shere, district secretary Ankush Budhwant, district secretariat members Manoj Kirtane and Shankar Sidam, the Lok Sabha candidate D B Naik, local CPI leaders and others. DINDORI AND NASHIK: On April 15, two large public meetings were held at Wani in the Dindori constituency and at Nashik in the Nashik constituency. These meetings were addressed by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu and Dr Ashok Dhawale. The Wani meeting was chaired by CPI(M) state secretariat member J P Gavit and it was also addressed by state committee member Kisan Gujar, district committee member Savliram Pawar, the Lok Sabha candidate Hemant Waghere, local CPI leaders and others. The Nashik meeting was chaired by CPI(M) state secretariat member Dr D L Karad and it was also addressed by CPI state secretary Dr Bhalchandra Kango, CPI(M) state committee member Sitaram Thombre, the Lok Sabha candidate Tanaji Jaybhave and others. Again on April 19, 20 and 21, large public meetings were held in different areas of Nashik city in the Nashik constituency and at Surgana, Chandwad, Manmad and Peth in the Dindori constituency. These were addressed by Tripura minister Jitendra Choudhury, Dr Ashok Dhawale, Narsayya Adam, M H Shaikh, J P Gavit, Dr D L Karad, the candidates and others. PALGHAR: The four major public meetings that were held in the Palghar constituency were as follows: On April 13 the rally and public meeting at Vasai were addressed by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member M A Baby, state secretariat members Mahendra Singh and Mariam Dhawale, state committee member Shailendra Kamble, district committee member K K Prakasan, CPI leaders A D Golandaz and JD(S) leader Manvel Tuscano. On April 14, the birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, a large rally was held at Kasa in Dahanu tehsil and this was addressed by Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu and Dr Ashok Dhawale, CPI(M) state secretariat members Rajaram Ozare (MLA) and Mariam Dhawale, state committee member Lahanu Kom, Barkya Mangat and Edward Vartha and the Lok Sabha candidate Ladkya Kharpade. On April 16, another large rally was held at Vikramgad in Vikramgad tehsil and this was addressed by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat, Dr Ashok Dhawale, Rajaram Ozare, Mariam Dhawale, Lahanu Kom, Ladkya Kharpade, CPI(M) state committee member Ratan Budhar and district secretariat members Raja Gahala and Sunil Dhanwa. On April 19, yet another rally was held at Chalatwad in Jawhar tehsil and this was addressed by Jitendra Chowdhury, Rajaram Ozare, Barkya Mangat, Ratan Budhar and others. The voting for the Hingoli seat was held on April 17 and the voting for the Nashik, Dindori and Palghar seats is due on April 24. Hectic preparations are now going on in all these seats.