People of Rajasthan are clearly in no mood to give a clear verdict for either BJP or Congress. Hinting at new possibilities hidden in this situation, CPI(M) PB member and leader of CPI(M) group in Rajya Sabha, Sitaram Yechury pointed out that this can create an opening for pushing pro-people decisions in the next assembly. He was addressing a big election meeting at Sadulsahar Anaj Mandi. CPI(M) has fielded it’s old warhorse much respected leader, Hetram Beniwal from this constituency. He has been MLA once and also lost another election by margin of only 500 votes.
Canvassing for strengthening the hands of the CPI(M) in Assembly, pointing towards its glorious record of popular struggles and fighting for alternative policies, Yechury expressed confidence of maximum utilization of these possibilities. In this connection Yechury talked of how post 2004 General Elections Left’s intervention at national level ensured the passing of NREGA, Right to information law, Forest Rights Law and even Right to education law despite the reluctance of the UPA. Beside local leaders and Hetram Beniwal, CPI(M) central secretariat member and in-charge of Rajasthan, Hannan Mollah also address the huge crowd. Poor women largely NREGA workers were present in large numbers. The meeting ended with a procession led by Yechury and Beniwal, briefly passing through Mandi area.
In Sriganganagar district, a traditional base of the Red Flag, CPI(M) has put up its candidates in four assembly segments out of a total of six. Pawan Duggal, the outgoing MLA from Anupgarh. CPI(M) General Secretary along with Mollah campaigned at Karnapur for CPI(M) candidate Kewal Singh on 22 November. Karat also addressed election meetings at Peelibangan in Hanumangarh and Neemka Thana in Sikar district on November 23 & 24.
In the largely rural constituency of Sadulsahar, while both the Congress and BJP face serious internal dissention, the CPI(M)’s candidate has a distinct image advantage as a fighter for the cause of the poor, including the historical canal water agitation.
SRIGANGANAGAR, 24 November 2013.