Md Salim Re-elected as West Bengal CPI(M) State Secretary for Second Consecutive Term

Veteran politician Mohammed Salim was unanimously re-elected as the state secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]'s West Bengal unit on Tuesday, securing his second consecutive term. The decision was made during the party's 27th conference, currently underway in Dankuni, Hooghly district.

In addition to Salim’s re-election, an 80-member state committee was also elected by unanimous consent. The new committee includes 14 women. Furthermore, 11 fresh faces have been added to the leadership, bringing new perspectives to the party’s decision-making process.

The CPI(M)'s four-day state conference, which began earlier this week, will conclude on Thursday. Salim highlighted that the conference is focused on addressing the critical challenges facing the state, particularly as the party prepares for the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

In 2011, West Bengal underwent a significant political shift when Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) unseated the Left Front, ending its 35-year rule in the state. The CPI(M)-led Left Front, which had governed for over three decades, lost its grip on power, marking the end of an era. Since then, the CPI(M) has struggled to remain relevant in the rapidly changing political landscape of Bengal.

The party's decline became starkly evident in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where it secured only two out of 42 seats in West Bengal, with a meagre 5.67% of the vote share. This result represented a historic low for the CPI(M.), a party that had once been a dominant force in the state.

The 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections deepened the party's crisis. Despite its long-standing influence in Bengal, the CPI(M) failed to win a single seat, with its vote share falling to just 4.73%.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(M)’s fortunes continued to slide. Despite efforts to rebuild its presence, the party again failed to secure any seats in Bengal’s 42-member Lok Sabha delegation.

Looking ahead to the pivotal 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the CPI(M) is making a concerted effort to revive its political fortunes. As of February 2025, the party has launched a comprehensive initiative to restructure its organisation and devise strategies for the upcoming polls, hoping to regain its former prominence in the state's political arena.​