Pratik-ur-Rahman an upcoming CPI(M) leader joining Trinamool Congress less than a week after his resignstion from the party is akin to a strike from a double edged weapon to CPI(M) . The party whose writ ran in West Bengal for more than three decades has lost a young leader with a clean image at a time when it is trying to regain electoral relevance; Rahman post his resignation has opened a can of worms about intra-party affairs landing the Marxist outfit on a sticky wicket before 2026 Assembly elections.
One need not enter an ideological debate that CPI((M) is fighting an existential battle for relevance in West Bengal. There are no representatives of the party in state Assembly, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha from this state.
Symbolism plays a significant role in politics. So when TMC’s second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee welcomed Rahman who had contested against him in 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Diamond Harbour, it starkly symbolised the transfer of power post 2021 elections
Trinamool Congress has BJP as the principal Opposition outfit in West Bengal.snfvthr CPI(M) is trying to make its presence felt once agsun. . But Pratikur parts ways from the CPI(M) at a time when it’s comeback plan hinged on a crop of young leaders like him.
It is not a secret that the CPI(M) organisation has shrunk rapidly in the past decade. Calling a spade by no other name, Pratikur’s influence was limited in Diamond Harbour snd the TMC has not made major political gains from his defection.
Yet there is no denying the fact that the TMC has gained an educated and secular face from the minority community. Pratikur’s entry will bolster the narrative that Trinamool is the only alternative to stop the BJP and its aggressive brand of Hindutva.
The elections are inching closer. Pratikur joining the TMC’s ranks will be a big boost .to it in two ways.
His speeches will be a big draw drsw for the crowds during the coming campaign;
.While his image and charisma will make him an ideal candidate especially when his candidature is backed by a well oiled election machinery.
Both factors could have been utilised had his party been able to retain him. Voting per centsges for succesive elections indicate why Pratikur and his young comrades would have been invaluable to CPI(M) in the coming poll.bzttle.
The CPI(M) vote share dropped from almost 20 per cent in 2016 polls to 4.73 per cent in ,2021,Assembly election. But of late, there has been signs of turnaround
The stirring of hopes was visible after the CPI(M) got 14 per cent of vote share in 2022 municipal elections. Of this 12 per cent was in Kolkata, considered to be a TMC stronghold.
It was a healthy 21 per cent in 2023 panchayat elections. The party has no seats in its bag in 2024
Lok Sabha polls but it’s vote share rose marginally to about 6 per cent.
Things have come to such s pass that these marginal gains may be wiped out post Pratik’s defection. The haemorrhage in the CPI(M) will then come out in the open.
CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim has described Pratik leaving the party to “losing one’s own. child’.But his words lose credence given Pratkur’,s strong criticism of Salim doing little to foster intra-party democracy.
His defection is a loss of face to the CPI(M). It is a setback to CPI(M)’s long term plans for an ideological resurrection.
Pratikur’s absence will.make it difficult to get across its message to the voters is yet to be seen. It would be a tall.order to make this contention now.
But it makes difficult to make CPI(N)’,s presence felt in the bi-polar politics of West Bengal. It has tarnished it’s image that it is an ideologically motivated outfit which can take on BJP and TMC in poll battle and beyond.
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It remains to be seen how CPI(M) fares in electoral battle without Congress. It won 21 seats in ,2016 Assembly polls after trying up with Congress.
The CPI(M) leadership holding alliance talks with Indian Secular Front and Janata Unnayan Party(JUP) founded by former TMC leader Humayun ,Kabir are also on political radar. Not uncomfortable in the company of ISF, talks with JUP is stated to be the immefdiaie trigger of Pratikur changing side..
