Weak organisation, shortcomings behind panchayat defeat: CPI-M

The CPI-M Thursday identified its organisational weaknesses, shortcomings in running panchayats and deficiencies in mass contact apart from ruling Trinamool Congress' use of muscle and money power for the Left Front's poor performance in the recent panchayat polls.

Publishing its preliminary analysis of the rural polls held last month, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, which spearheads the opposition Left Front, said the results did not reflect public opinion.

"The election was held in the backdrop of unprecedented atrocities in rural areas. The ruling party (Trinamool) made the election acrimonious," a CPI-M statement said after a party state committee meeting during the day. General secretary Prakash Karat was present.

"Other than committing atrocities and terrorising the people, the ruling party spent enormous money. Apart from the political situation, the party's organisational weaknesses, shortcomings in running panchayat bodies and deficiencies in maintaining mass contact were also identified as the causes for the outcome".

The CPI-M said the LF could not give candidates in 5,206 gram panchayat seats, 782 panchayat samiti constituencies and eight zilla parishad seats of the three-tier rural body polls.

Accusing the Trinamool of forcing LF candidates to withdraw their candidature, and capturing booths partly or wholly, the statement said the Trinamool also interpolated results at the counting centres.

The CPI-M said the LF secured 39.97 percent votes overall in 16 districts, while the Trinamool got 43.03 percent. The LF secured over 40 percent votes in four districts, and between 37 and 40 percent votes in six districts. It got less votes in six districts.

The state committee said the LF did well in areas where the partners managed to maintain intensive mass contact despite facing terror and atrocities.

The Marxists decided to build movements centred around the people's demands and called for continuing the fight against the attacks of the "dictatorial" government and "lawlessness".

Claiming that the escalation in prices of essentials has created a "serious situation", the CPI-M said it would organise statewide street corners, marketplace meetings and processions on the issue.