Jitendra Choudhury, CPIM Politburo member and Tripura Opposition Leader, calls the 24th Party Congress in Madurai a turning point for India’s Left. He unveils plans to unite secular forces against BJP-RSS ‘neo-fascism,’ accuses Modi of pushing Hindu Rashtra, and labels Tripura a BJP experimental hub
Agartala April 8: Jitendra Choudhury, the newly inducted CPIM Politburo member and Tripura’s Leader of the Opposition, hailed the recently concluded 24th Party Congress in Madurai, Tamil Nadu as a defining moment for India’s Left movement.
Speaking to reporters in Agartala on Tuesday, Choudhury outlined the CPIM’s bold plan to unite secular and democratic forces nationwide to take on the BJP and its ideological backbone, the RSS, which he accused of undermining India’s constitutional ethos.
Fresh from the four-day Madurai conference, he revealed that the party would escalate its national presence to combat what he calls the “neo-fascist” drift under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Jiten’s comment on ‘Hindu Rastra’
In his sharply worded critique, Jiten Choudhury charged that the BJP, with RSS support, has spent the last ten years methodically weakening the secular underpinnings of India’s Constitution.
“The Modi administration has compromised constitutional bodies and values to lay the groundwork for a Hindu Rashtra, a reality reflected not just in rhetoric but in their policies, divisive language, and efforts to dominate critical democratic structures,” he asserted.
Choudhury further contended that the RSS’s ideological influence is being quietly woven into the fabric of governance and lawmaking, posing a danger to India’s pluralistic identity.
Tripura BJP’s ‘experimental hub’
Shifting focus to his home state, Choudhury argued that Tripura has emerged as an experimental hub for the BJP’s wider political ambitions. “Over the past seven years, Tripura has been transformed into a testing site for strategies the BJP and RSS seek to implement nationwide, including silencing dissent, stifling opposition, and exploiting state resources,” he claimed. He revealed that the CPI(M) in Tripura is gearing up for an intensive public awareness drive to highlight threats to democracy and citizens’ socio-economic well-being. “Our goal is to foster a society free of exploitation, where everyone can thrive with dignity,” he emphasized.
A Call for United Opposition
Choudhury reaffirmed the CPI(M)’s dedication to forging a coalition with all secular and democratic entities to counter the BJP at both state and national levels.
“The party congress underscored that this isn’t merely a fight for political relevance—it’s a struggle to preserve India’s essence.
We’re prepared to collaborate with aligned parties, social campaigns, student organizations, and civil society to build a collective front against communalism and autocracy,” he declared.
Choudhury also suggested plans for increased grassroots activism and large-scale protests in the coming months, targeting issues like inflation, joblessness, curbs on freedoms, and the privatization of public resources.
24th CPIM Party Congress
Held in Madurai, the 24th CPIM Party Congress adopted several key strategies in response to the prevailing political landscape. The event saw the election of a new Politburo, the inclusion of younger leaders, and the approval of resolutions critiquing the BJP’s economic, foreign policy, and civil rights approaches.
A strong focus was placed on enhancing Left solidarity and creating wider alliances to oppose right-wing forces in elections and beyond.
Choudhury’s rise to the Politburo represents a pivotal moment for Tripura’s Left movement. Political analysts opined, selecting a tribal leader from Tripura in Politburo signals party’s intention to strengthen party base among the tribal population. In 60-seat Assembly, 20 are reserved for the ST people while one out of the two Lok Sabha constituencies is ST reserved in Tripura.
