CPI(ML) Liberation to leverage education reform drive to reach young voters in Bihar, UP

The CPI(ML) Liberation is to launch a one-month campaign seeking reforms in the education sector which will begin in Patna with a public meeting on September 6. It will highlight issues ranging from inadequate school and college infrastructure to concerns over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).

Primarily focused on Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, party campaigners will travel extensively across the region to establish contact with young voters ahead of the Assembly elections in the State scheduled for early next year.

Party General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said the focus on the two States stems from what he described as the continued neglect of the education sector by BJP-led governments.

“On paper, every panchayat in Bihar has a school up to Class 12. To achieve this, several primary and secondary schools were upgraded. But the upgrade often exists only on paper, with schools functioning out of four classrooms and lacking boundary walls, libraries and other basic infrastructure,” he said.

Mr. Bhattacharya said the campaign builds on the momentum generated during the recent student-led protests at Jantar Mantar. He noted that a significant number of participants at the protest came from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and that the campaign was an extension of efforts by the party’s student wing, the All India Students’ Association (AISA).

Public meetings

As part of its Uttar Pradesh outreach, the CPI(ML) Liberation plans to hold public meetings in Prayagraj, Varanasi, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya and Meerut. Party leaders are worried that the State administration might cancel permits at the last minute.

On the opposition’s strategy in Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Bhattacharya said the Samajwadi Party, as the principal opposition force, and its ally the Congress would have to play the central role in challenging the BJP government.

“A broader coalition that includes Left parties is essential for mounting an effective electoral challenge to the BJP,” he said.

Mr. Bhattacharya also claimed that AISA’s organisational footprint had expanded significantly since the Jantar Mantar protests, with new units being established in cities and towns where the student organisation had little or no presence earlier, including Mumbai.

The campaign will conclude on October 5 with a public meeting at Jadavpur University in West Bengal.