Agartala, September 23, 2024: Tripura CPIM Secretary and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury on Sunday expressed deep concern over the significant decline in party membership over the past seven years. Speaking at an event in Udaipur to commemorate the late Sitaram Yechury, Chaudhury revealed that the party’s membership has dwindled to nearly 38,000, a sharp drop from the 98,000 members recorded in 2018.
Chaudhury lamented, “Had the 8th Left Front government been formed in 2018, our party membership could have reached around 1.5 lakh. However, due to being out of power for the last seven years, we have witnessed a considerable decline in membership numbers.”
Despite efforts to enroll new members, the CPIM leader noted that the party had only managed to bring in 7,500 new members during this period, while approximately 67,000 members have left the party. “This is indeed regrettable, but what is more concerning is that many of the remaining 37,000 members show little enthusiasm for participating in party programs,” he remarked.
Reflecting on the history of the Left Front, Chaudhury drew a comparison with the party’s early days. “In 1978, when the first Left Front government took charge with 56 seats, the party had only 6,000 members. Back then, we didn’t even keep records of membership credentials, but the dedication of those from poor and marginalized communities was unmatched,” he said.
Chaudhury called for introspection among party workers and emphasized the need to rebuild the party from the grassroots level. He announced plans to organize a series of conferences at every level of the party’s structure, from local branches to the state committee. “We will hold a total of 4,500 conferences across 4,000 branches, 300 local committees, 24 divisional committees, 8 district committees, and finally the state committee. These discussions are crucial to rejuvenate the party and bring it back on track,” he said.
The event served as a platform for Chaudhury to rally party workers for renewed efforts to strengthen the party, as CPIM looks ahead to its future challenges.
