CPI(M)’s WB State Secretary Md Salim. File.
| Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) will launch Bangla Bachao Yatra (Save Bengal March) from November 29 to highlight crucial issues concerning West Bengal ahead of the next year’s Assembly polls.
“The Bangla Bachao Yatra will begin from Tufanganj in Cooch Behar from November 29. We have already started preparation for the yatra through campaigns and wall writings..The idea behind saving Bengal is saving our education, our healthcare, our public transport; saving adivasis, minorities and matuas.. Saving the spirit of Bengal renaissance,” State secretary of the CPI(M) Md. Salim said on Wednesday (November 19, 2025).
The Bangla Bachao Yatra is likely to traverse across West Bengal from north to south. It will conclude at Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas on December 17, covering 1,000 km across 11 districts and several adjoining pockets.
The idea behind the march is to highlight the issues of livelihood of people at a time when the electoral politics of the State seems to be largely bipolar with the ruling Trinamool Congress on one side and the Bharatiya Janata Party on the other.
Unity of Left forces
Mr. Salim highlighted the larger need for unity of left forces and said that left forces will form a nucleus which will bring secular and democratic forces together.
“For the unity of Left forces we are holding discussions and these talks have borne fruit. To save the country, it is essential to save West Bengal and for saving Bengal we have the unity of Left forces is essential,” the CPI(M) leader pointed out.
Since 2016 the CPI(M)-led Left Front has contested polls in an electoral alliance with the Congress but that has not given the coalition much success. Certain Left parties like CPI(ML) have not been part of that electoral understanding.
Flawless voter list
Speaking about the ongoing SIR, the CPI(M) State secretary said that the party will hold electors to ensure that the names of genuine voters are not deleted from the electoral rolls.
“We are in favour of a flawless voter list. For having such a voter list, there was no necessity of SIR. The responsibility of giving us a flawless voter list lies with the election commission and it has failed the people on the county,” said Mr. Salim. The CPI(M) leader added that the party has held protests outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal after the SIR was announced.
Published – November 19, 2025 09:17 pm IST
