CPI-M faced with slide in membership support among minorities

The organisational report placed in the ongoing state conference of the CPI(M) has presented a gloomy picture in party membership and revealed a slide in the support base among minority and backward communities.
The organisational report, which includes a comparison of membership of the CPI(M) and its frontal organisations, placed during the ongoing five day 24th state conference has shown how membership in all categories except for the student's wing has faced a steady downward trend.
According to the internal report placed in the state conference, the minority membership, which stood at 88,952 in 2011, dropped by 13.5 per cent to 38,801 in 2014.

The membership status of the party within the SC and ST community has dropped by 15.5 per cent and 13.4 per cent in 2014 since 2011.
Similarly, the number of women cadres in the party has dropped by 25 per cent since 2011.
The only redeeming feature is that the membership of the party's student's wing, restricted to age 30, has grown by 2.83 per cent since 2011.

However, the youth wing which comprises an age group between 31-50, has witnessed a sharp fall by 26 per cent since 2011.
The wholetimers, which forms one of the pillars of a communist party, too witnessed a slide in all the fronts including the main party.

Asked about the reasons behind the gloomy situation, CPI(M) central committee member Mohammed Salim cited three reasons.
"Firstly, there are several members who due to old age problems have either not renewed membership or have stepped down. Secondly, many members have not renewed their membership due to either political bullying or due to other reasons. Thirdly we ourselves have wanted to bring in fresh, young faces and active members in the party," Salim said.
Salim also noted that the drop in membership was nothing new.
"This drop in membership happened when we were in power also, because certain sections of the party members due to their old age problems don't renew their membership," he said.