Clutching at straws?

In terms of its legislative strength, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has seldom been weaker in the last four decades. But last week or so has brought good news for the party. The party finished second in the bypoll to Sabong in West Bengal. Party chief Sitaram Yechury tweeted that CPI (M) came in second in a constituency it had not contested after 1982. “This, despite fighting against the muscle power of Trinamool Congress and money power of Bharatiya Janata Party, was possible due to the persistence and hard work of our comrades. We will only do better from here,” said Yechury. The CPI (M) leadership was also upbeat about winning an assembly seat in Himachal Pradesh. Its candidate Rakesh Singha won the Theog seat from Shimla. A CPI (M) MP commented how communism was seeing a revival in India via the hills, first with the communist parties in Nepal comprehensively winning the election to form the government and now CPI (M) winning a seat in Himachal Pradesh. The 

CPI (M) is hard at work to ensure that it comes back to power in Tripura, where assembly elections are due by March.