Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) Heads of “opportunistic elements” will roll in the Communist Party of India-Marxist’s (CPI-M) West Bengal unit once it launches its “rectification campaign” to weed out those who did not follow the “living culture based on communist values”, says a senior leader.
The campaign that starts October end will identify all those who were “pursuing personal gains and have lavish lifestyles by using the party and the government” in the state, a CPI-M leader told IANS.

He explained that this was one of the major reasons for his party’s unprecedented defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

“We are in the process of identifying opportunistic elements. Once we launch the rectification campaign, we believe we can re-energise our organisation by weeding out such elements at various levels in the party’s hierarchy,” the leader said.

The leader said there were “so many opportunistic elements” who cause harm to the communist values of the CPI-M’s cadres — and thus the party’s political future.

The CPI-M politburo meeting held here this month had decided to prepare a draft document for its “rectification campaign” to inculcate in its cadres the “living culture based on communist values”.

The draft will be placed before the central committee meeting of the party to be held Oct 23-25. The politburo would meet ahead of this Oct 11 to finalise the document.

The CPI-M has been searching for reasons for its worst ever debacle in the April-May Lok Sabha elections with its tally falling to 16 seats from 43 in the 2004 elections.

Referring to continuous electoral defeats of the party at the hands of Trinamool Congress, the leader said: “This is for the first time our new generation leaders and workers faced such electoral setbacks in the state. We want to make them fit to take forward the class struggle.”

He said the campaign aimed at regaining lost ground in the state. “The Trinamool Congress, by joining hands with extreme leftist elements, is challenging us even in our pastures. Our new generation leaders are not prepared to accept this challenge. We want to make them fit for that,” said the leader.

The rectification document is being prepared by the central leadership of the party “to enhance the level of consciousness” among leaders and cadres as also to formulate a “living culture” based on communist values.