The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) is set to contest the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections with a renewed focus on rural struggles, highlighting issues such as unemployment, low crop prices, and the migrant labour crisis. Addressing the party’s 27th state conference in Dankuni, CPM State Secretary Mohammed Salim emphasised that merely issuing media statements would not be enough; the party must actively engage in grassroots movements to overcome its electoral setbacks.

Mr Salim pointed out that the CPM’s prolonged electoral decline, from the 2016 Assembly polls to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, has been marked by alliance experiments with the Congress and the Indian Secular Front (ISF). However, internal party reports suggested that such pre-election seat-sharing agreements have created confusion among the party’s workers and supporters. Delegates from various districts, including Burdwan, East Midnapore, Alipurduar, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata, and South 24-Parganas, expressed concerns over the party’s weakening ideological commitment and grassroots organisational strength.

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The conference underscored the urgent need to reinvigorate the party at the booth level. Mr Salim stressed that the CPM cannot afford to limit itself to reactive criticism but must provide an alternative political narrative through effective mass movements. He also highlighted the necessity of integrating more young people into the party ranks, acknowledging that while youth participation in student and labour movements exists, their membership in the CPM remains stagnant. CPM politburo coordinator Prakash Karat echoed this concern, citing Kerala as a model where 22 per cent of CPM members are under the age of 31. In contrast, Bengal’s CPM struggles to attract younger members, a trend Karat labelled as “alarming.”

A key takeaway from the discussions was the dual strategy required for the party’s revival— strengthening its ideological cohesion while reconnecting with rural voters. The CPM leadership believes that without sustained rural agitation, regaining political relevance in Bengal remains a distant dream. Salim concluded with a call for direct engagement with marginalised communities, emphasising that there are no “shortcuts” to political revival. The four-day state conference is expected to further deliberate on organisational weaknesses and chart a course for the CPM’s comeback in Bengal’s electoral politics.