CPI(ML) Elects Its New Central Committee and Polit Bureau
The CPI(ML)’s 9th Congress concluded on April 7, 2013 with a massive ‘People’s Alternative Rally’ at the Vidhan Sabha Maidan at Ranchi. The rally called for a people’s political alternative to the UPA-NDA model of pro-corporate and anti-democratic governance.
Late at night on April 6, the CPI(ML)’s Party Congress elected a new 58-member Central Committee (list attached), which in turn elected a 17-member Polit Bureau and re-elected Dipankar Bhattacharya as General Secretary. The newly elected Polit Bureau include Swadesh Bhattacharya, Kartick Pal, DP Buxi, Rubul Sarma, S. Kumaraswamy, Ramji Rai, Amar, Arindam Sen, Swapan Mukherjee, Kunal, Dhirendra Jha, Janardan Prasad, Manoj Bhakta, Partha Ghosh, Kavita Krishnan, and Prabhat Kumar.
Addressing the Jan Vikalp (People’s Alternative) Rally, CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya hailed the successful rally held in spite of the Bandh called by the CPI(Maoist) on the same day and the municipality elections on the next day. He said the massive mobilization of women and men at the Rally showed the way forward for genuine people’s resistance in contrast with the Maoists’ actions like blowing up train tracks. He stressed the slogan of the CPI(ML)’s 9th Party Congress – Ek Hi Rasta, Ek Hi Vikalp, Jan Sangharsh, Jan Vikalp’ (One path, One alternative – people’s struggles, people’s alternative). He demanded that elections in Jharkhand be held without any delay, since the President’s Rule was being used as a ploy to impose Congress rule and corporate plunder by the back door. Speaking about the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar and its demand for special status for Bihar, he pointed out the massive corruption and anti-poor policies (such as cuts in MNREGA wages) being undertaken by the same Government. For Nitish Kumar, he said, Special Status was nothing but a ploy to turn Bihar, like Jharkhand, into a site for unbridled corporate plunder. He said that the BJP and corporations were touting Narendra Modi as a PM in waiting, because he could guarantee even more severe suppression of democracy and people’s protests. A people’s alternative could only emerge from people’s movements, and CPI(ML) was committed to building such an alternative, in alliance with other forces of people’s struggle.
The rally was also addressed by Revolutionary Workers’ Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Saiful Haq; Sue Bolton of Socialist Alliance; Mangat Ram Pasla, Secretary of CPM Punjab; RB Rai, President of CPRM; and Vijay Kulkarni, Central Committee member of the Lal Nishan Party (Leninist); CPI(ML)’s MLA in the Jharkhand Assembly and newly elected Central Committee member Vinod Singh; All India Kisan Mahasabha General Secretary Raja Ram Singh; and CPI(ML) Polit Bureau member Kavita Krishnan.
A set of resolutions presented by Jharkhand CPI(ML) leader Geeta Mandal was adopted by the Rally.
(Please see resolutions here)
Dhirendra Jha
on behalf of
CPI(ML) Central Committee
