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'Wrong policies' prompt top Bengal CPM leader to quit

'Wrong policies' prompt top Bengal CPM leader to quit

Author: Santanu Banerjee
Publications: The Indian Express, Mumbai
Dated: February 21, 2001

Close on the heels of the expulsion of rebel leader Saifuddin Chowdhury and the ensuing ruckus in the party, yet another party leader, this time South 24.-Paraganas district committee secretary, Samir Putatunda, has quit saying the "widening ideological cleavage had become unbridgeable."

The decision of Putatunda to step down and join Chowdhury's new political outfit could not have come at a worse time for the party. Party circles here say that Putatunda's decision would severely affect the party in at least 20 of the 35 Assembly seats in the district in the coming elections.

Putatunda, a close associate of controversial CPI(M) leader and minister Subhas Chakraborty, pulled a quick one by announcing his decision to quit the party at a crowded press conference here this afternoon leaving no chance for the party to either expel or censure him.

His decision came as a big shock to the party as he had himself ruled out the possibility of quitting the party at a recent party rally with CPI(M) state secretary and politburo member Anil Biswas.

Later, a visibly disturbed Biswas told reporters Putatunda had submitted his resignation to the party office.

Though. Biswas, ruled out any impact of Putatunda's resignation on the elections, he admitted, "I hoped Samir would stay with the us despite differences on the ideological issue."

On what prompted him to change his decision, Putatunda said, "I don't think a change in decision would create any credibility problem for me."

Squarely blaming the party for the growing cabalistic tendencies within, he said: "The party had not only followed wrong policies but also the so-called powerful leaders have done everything to gag dissent so that there's no other option but to quit the party."

He also alleged that "because of wrong policies the Left Front could not bring in economic development in the state and the CPI(M) could not spread in other states like it should."

Putatunda, said "the new Left alternative, we would launch, will participate in the coming elections in a big way."
 


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