Ballygunge the point of resurrection for the Left in West Bengal

"We have had an influx of young blood in the State, which was reflected in the by election result," says Sitaram Yechury

The Left sees a ray of hope of a possible "resurrection" in West Bengal in its defeat in Ballygunge in South Kolkata where it pushed the BJP to the third position to be the runner-up.

Speaking to The Hindu, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that this trend is likely to hold, especially since the party has been overhauling its ranks. "We have had an influx of young blood in the State, which was reflected in the by election result," Mr. Yechury said.

At Ballygunge, Babul Supriyo, who quit the BJP to join the Trinamool Congress, defeated CPI (M) candidate Saira Shah Halim by a margin of 20,228 votes. The CPI (M) still managed to secure 30.1% of the votes in Ballygunge, leaving the BJP in the third position with 12.8 % votes.

The polls coincided with the CPI(M)'s Party Congress at Kannur in Kerala. Party insiders feel that had the leaders were not occupied at the conference the results would have been more encouraging.

The party political organisation report had said that in West Bengal committed Left voters voted for the BJP to escape the alleged tyranny of the Trinamool. In an interview last week to The Hindu, Mr. Yechury said the Trinamool victory in Bengal was not a victory of any one party, it was the victory of the people of Bengal.

"People of Bengal have realised that the BJP is an alien force in the State and the contest will be between Trinamool and the Left," he added.

The party’s State secretary, Mohammed Salim, said that it was the founder members of the Trinamool who constructed the BJP in the State and since the 2016 Assembly election the Trinamool and the BJP have been trying to create a two-party system in the State.