The Crossbill News Desk
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] held two major activist conventions in Bihar’s East Champaran and Samastipur districts as part of its preparations for the upcoming state assembly elections, even as its candidate in Pipra survived a murderous attack just days after one such meeting.
The conventions were organised in Pipra (East Champaran) on August 12 and in Vibhutipur (Samastipur) on August 13, drawing more than 600 activists in total.
Vibhutipur is a CPI(M) stronghold where the party won in 2020 with 73,822 votes and a margin of 40,496.
In Pipra, the CPI(M) had secured 80,410 votes in the last election, narrowly losing by 8,177.
These two constituencies, along with Matihani in Begusarai and Majhi in Saran, have been prioritised by the state committee. While the Matihani convention was held on July 31, the Majhi convention is scheduled for August 19.
Both recent conventions were addressed by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Dr. Ashok Dhawale, along with Central Committee members Lalan Choudhary, the state secretary, and Awadhesh Kumar. The Pipra event was presided over by veteran leader and former MLA Ramashray Singh, with district secretary Satyendra Mishra and state committee member Raj Mangal Prasad—also the CPI(M)’s Pipra candidate—among the speakers.
The Vibhutipur convention was chaired by Vishwanath Mahato and addressed by MLA Ajay Kumar and other senior leaders including Ramashray Mahato, Manoj Sunil, Manoj Gupta, Shah Jafar Imam and Ram Dayal Bharati.
The meetings emphasised the grave political challenges facing Bihar and the country, with leaders calling for intensified organisational preparation ahead of the polls.
Tributes were paid to late CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on his birth anniversary, to former Bihar state secretary Vijay Kant Thakur on his death anniversary, and to Fidel Castro at the start of his birth centenary year. Activists also contributed over Rs 10,500 towards the Cuba Solidarity Fund.
Meanwhile, Tensions escalated just two days later when on August 14, CPI(M)’s Pipra candidate Raj Mangal Prasad survived a violent attack. Armed assailants opened fire and stabbed at him; he escaped with minor injuries but his driver, who tried to shield him, was seriously wounded. One of the attackers was apprehended by locals and handed over to police, while the other fled and remains at large.
Party leaders alleged that Prasad had already been targeted earlier when a “totally false” murder case under IPC Section 302 was filed against him.
CPI(M) claims that sustained mass mobilisation and legal intervention had forced the withdrawal of that charge. It suspects that “big BJP leaders” are involved in the latest attack, linking it to attempts to intimidate the party’s growing presence in the region.
The conventions were organised in Pipra (East Champaran) on August 12 and in Vibhutipur (Samastipur) on August 13, drawing more than 600 activists in total.
Vibhutipur is a CPI(M) stronghold where the party won in 2020 with 73,822 votes and a margin of 40,496.
In Pipra, the CPI(M) had secured 80,410 votes in the last election, narrowly losing by 8,177.
These two constituencies, along with Matihani in Begusarai and Majhi in Saran, have been prioritised by the state committee. While the Matihani convention was held on July 31, the Majhi convention is scheduled for August 19.
Both recent conventions were addressed by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Dr. Ashok Dhawale, along with Central Committee members Lalan Choudhary, the state secretary, and Awadhesh Kumar. The Pipra event was presided over by veteran leader and former MLA Ramashray Singh, with district secretary Satyendra Mishra and state committee member Raj Mangal Prasad—also the CPI(M)’s Pipra candidate—among the speakers.
The Vibhutipur convention was chaired by Vishwanath Mahato and addressed by MLA Ajay Kumar and other senior leaders including Ramashray Mahato, Manoj Sunil, Manoj Gupta, Shah Jafar Imam and Ram Dayal Bharati.
The meetings emphasised the grave political challenges facing Bihar and the country, with leaders calling for intensified organisational preparation ahead of the polls.
Tributes were paid to late CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on his birth anniversary, to former Bihar state secretary Vijay Kant Thakur on his death anniversary, and to Fidel Castro at the start of his birth centenary year. Activists also contributed over Rs 10,500 towards the Cuba Solidarity Fund.
Meanwhile, Tensions escalated just two days later when on August 14, CPI(M)’s Pipra candidate Raj Mangal Prasad survived a violent attack. Armed assailants opened fire and stabbed at him; he escaped with minor injuries but his driver, who tried to shield him, was seriously wounded. One of the attackers was apprehended by locals and handed over to police, while the other fled and remains at large.
Party leaders alleged that Prasad had already been targeted earlier when a “totally false” murder case under IPC Section 302 was filed against him.
CPI(M) claims that sustained mass mobilisation and legal intervention had forced the withdrawal of that charge. It suspects that “big BJP leaders” are involved in the latest attack, linking it to attempts to intimidate the party’s growing presence in the region.
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