Drifting away from agitations cause of Left Front’s debacle in Bengal: Forward Bloc

The Left Front’s woes in West Bengal seem to be far from over as a key constituent, the Forward Bloc, has stated in its organisational report that the Front’s drifting away from agitations for the working class is the main reason for its electoral debacle in the state.

It further stated that the Left Front was suffering from severe organisational decline. The Left Front drew a blank in the last Assembly election.

“The Left Front has drifted away from its class standpoint. This is the reason why it has faced such a disaster (in the Assembly election). In such a situation polarisation politics has raised it’s head in Bengal,” said Forward Bloc State Secretary.

Read | Is there anything left of the Left in West Bengal?

According to sources in the Forward Bloc, the party recently conducted a survey in 100 Assembly constituencies, considering them as sample for the Assembly election results. The results showed that in at least 30% of the constituencies the Left Front had no workers at the booth level.

“The Forward Bloc leadership is of the opinion that instead of depending on its Left Front allies the CPI(M), excessive dependence on the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and the Congress cost the Left Front dearly,” a senior Forward Bloc leader said.

CPI(M) sources said that in terms of organising agitations there is an “overall weakness” in the Left Front and it is not confined to just the CPI(M) or the Forward Bloc.

The Forward Bloc has also admitted to its own organisational weakness. Earlier the CPI(M) also admitted to its organisational weakness in organising agitations against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government on key issues.