The CPI(M) West Bengal unit, which is facing a tough time in the backdrop of the party's debacle in the 2016 Assembly elections, today said that quality of the party cadres has declined over the years.
"Quality of the party cadres has declined over the years. While increasing party membership, the quality has declined. We have to be with the masses," CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said.
The CPI(M) today started its two-day state plenum to assess the situation and find ways to strengthen the party organisation.
According to a senior state committee member, the idea to fix a new set of criteria for selection of new cadres has also been popped up.
"It has been discussed that a new set of criteria should be drawn up while selecting fresh cadres. A proper background check should be done regarding family, financial dealings and whether the person has any criminal record. Rotten elements have to be removed from the party," the leader said.
"The objective is to streamline and strengthen the party through the organisation plenum and overcome the challenges in Bengal," a senior Politburo member told PTI.
Party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Politburo member Prakash Karat and others are present in the two-day plenum of the state unit.
Mishra said countering the politics of terror and intimidation unleashed by the TMC were the biggest challenges the state was presently facing.
"The politics of terror and intimidation unleashed by the TMC, tacitly supported by the BJP, continues in West Bengal against the CPI(M) and the Left Front," he said.
"Along with terror and intimidation, they are using methods of coercion and appeasement through money power to wrest control of various local bodies that the Left Front had won prior to the Assembly elections. TMC has publicly declared it will 'capture' all local bodies by weeding out the opposition by the end of the year. The plenum will look into ways to counter it," the CPI(M) state secretary, said.
According to CPI(M) sources, the party would look into ways to infuse more young blood in the organisation and remove "inactive" party workers.
"To counter such an unprecedented situation, we need to bring in more young blood to the party. More youths need to be brought into the party's organisational structure. Inactive members crippled due to age and those who do not have a good image among the masses should step aside and make way for new people," Mishra added.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
