Have to start fight for 2026 polls from today: CPIM Bengal secy Mohammad Salim

Additionally, CPIM’s trade union and farmers’ organisations have jointly called for a general strike on May 20 to protest against the labour codes implemented by the Central government.

Md Salim was joined by CITU leader Sahoo, farmer leader Amal Halder, Nirapada Sardar and Banya Tudu land-labour leaders from Sandeshkhali and Hooghly, slum development movement leader Sukhendu Shekhar De, who also addressed the rally on Sunday.

Criticising the current political landscape, Md Salim further alleged, “In Hindi films, both hero and villain attack each other, but the script writer is the same person. Likewise, here in West Bengal both BJP and TMC attack each other, but the script writer is RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat. Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had said Atal Bihari Vajpayee is good but not Advani. Later she said Advani is good but not Modi. Few days ago she said Modi is good but not Amit Shah. In 2026, she will say Shah is good and not Yogi…..”

“We have to fight both these parties,” the party state secretary pointed out.

“Like former chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya, we will have to say that those who will try to instigate riots will break their heads. Mamata Banerjee’s police took news of every bus owner who gave us bus for brigade but her police can’t take news of rioters. They are saying rioters came from outside, then what was our administration and BSF doing? In the 2026 election, we have to force them out of the state, those who forced general people to flee away from their houses,” Salim said.

The speakers criticised both the BJP-led central government and the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal for corruption, labour policy and MGNREGA.

“Mamata Banerjee tried to save tainted teachers due to which nearly 26,000 teachers lost their jobs. We have to fight against this corruption,” Salim said, adding, “When there is danger on the road, people say, walk towards the Left. If we want to save our country, we will also have to choose the Left.”

“There are thieves in the state government and dacoits in the central government and our fight is against both,” Tudu said.

Banya Tudu, the land-labour leader from Hooghly who called for a general strike on May 20 and announced her support for the opposition’s efforts to oust the current government in the 2026 assembly election, said, “TMC always said, Khela hobe. We will also play in the 2026 Assembly election and take wicket.”

Pointing out that police reforms are a necessity to ensure that they act independently, Salim said, “Police reform is needed. Police are not to give security to VIP people. Police are here to give and ensure the security of the general public.”

Hitting out at the TMC government in the state over the increasing cases of rape and atrocities on women, Tudu said, “What purpose will serve giving Lakshmi Bhandar if you can’t save the honour of a woman. What we saw in RG Kar rape and murder case?”

“Banya said, we will take wicket. I am not a cricket lover, I love football. I can say, we have to play from a lower position of defence and then will topple the government from the 14th floor of Nabanna (state secretariat),” Md Salim said.

“The Leftist movement pioneered the fight for the right to work, it started from West Bengal. Our peasants gave leadership to the “Tebhaga” movement. We forced the central government to make a law where every Indian will have at least 100 days of work. Now, our demand is that it should be increased to 200 days but the Narendra Modi-government is decreasing allocation in MGNREGA and in Bengal labourers have not been getting work in MGNREGA for more than two years,” Nirapada Sardar said.

“Narendra Modi government wants to take away the rights of the workers to make organisation and movement. We have to fight against the Labour-code of the Central government to continue our right to movement,” CITU leader Anadi Sahoo said.