How CPM, plotting Bengal comeback, is preparing to refresh approach for 2026 poll battle
From data mining to hiring political consultants, the Left party has agreed on a series of steps to modernise its way of doing politics, help it begin regaining lost ground.
In an interview with The Indian Express, CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Salim said new challenges require a new approach. (Facebook/Salim)
From data mining teams and task forces that will gather information to establish the party’s narrative to a focus on the youth, the CPI(M) has decided on some of the steps it will employ in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly polls in a bid to revive its electoral fortunes in a state it rule over for three decades.
In an attempt to regain its foothold, CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Salim announced five initiatives during the special session of the party’s four-day state conference that concluded this week. These initiatives, sources said, would be named after party stalwarts Sitaram Yechury, Saroj Mukherjee, Pramod Dasgupta, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, and Anil Biswas, and aim at helping the party grow with a “professional approach”.
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The main one will focus on cadre development while the other four will be for developing a research wing, survey and data mining, election management, and social media management. Sources said as a part of its revival mission, the party has also decided to constitute state-level and district-level committees with a “central research team” to monitor campaign material and social media initiatives. At the district level, the “task force” will undertake data management that will help in preparation for the campaign, while the “war room” will undertake data mining, campaign management, and election management. This would enable the CPI(M) to do micro-level Assembly constituency management and the reports generated would help it decide on the seats it needs to focus on.
At the end of the conference, Salim said for the first time the CPI(M) might hire the services of a consultant for election management. In an interview with The Indian Express, Salim said new challenges require a new approach. “Our revival strategy involves a creativity-infused, technology-driven, knowledge- and data-based approach… Our new approach will result in a broader political understanding and a target-specific strategy,” he said.
A delegate who attended the conference said the session showed that people now say that corruption was not rampant during the Left regime. “People agree that CPI(M) leaders are more honest than others but are not able to garner votes due to the absence of a strong organisation, among other factors,” said a delegate who attended the meeting,” the leader said.
“Currently, our problem is our weak booth-level organisation, where we desperately want to increase our numbers ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. It is difficult to do this in all 294 seats but we are aiming to strengthen our party in at least 50. We need surveys and data management to identify these seats, and the initiatives will help us do that,” said an outgoing member of the CPI(M) state committee.
Declining footprint of CPI(M)
The leader said the party had learnt people’s opinion through surveys conducted in different parts of the state in the last three months. “We know the caste- and religion-wise distribution of the population and we will now undertake research to identify the best places to put up a fight in 2026,” the leader said.
According to the CPI(M) leadership, a region-specific strategy and campaign can boost its prospects instead of promoting similar campaigns across regions. A section of the party leaders feels that Salim, who was re-elected to the post on Monday, will now focus his energies on bringing in fresh ideas to revive the party organisation at the grassroots, unlike in his first term when his emphasis was on bringing in fresh blood into the party leadership.
Sources said it was decided at the conference that an analysis of each Assembly constituency would be sent to the leadership, based on which constituency-specific campaign material would be developed and campaigns would be executed accordingly.
Another delegate who attended the state conference said the party would develop booth-level cadre through a special cadre development programme. “The cadre will be taught how to campaign and which issues to focus on, especially the issues that need to be raised at the local level in a particular area. They will also be apprised about how a person can be brought into the party,” Salim told The Indian Express.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
