Politics · India Bureau
CPI(M) Leader Retracts Criticism of Jyoti Basu Over Industrial Policy
A Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader has walked back remarks attributing West Bengal's industrial decline to policies pursued under former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu's tenure. The retreat comes amid ongoing debate over the state's industrial prospects.
LSN India ·
CPI(M) leader Biman Basu has retracted earlier statements holding former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu responsible for the Left Front government's industrial policies, marking a shift in the party's public positioning on the issue.
The development follows comments made by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on November 5, in which he attributed the state's declining industrial prospects to the policy of forcible land acquisition during the regime of former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Bhattacharjee led the Left Front government in its final years before the 2011 electoral defeat.
The retraction reflects internal party sensitivities regarding the Communist movement's legacy in West Bengal, where the Left Front governed for 34 consecutive years. The debate over industrial policy remains contentious, with various political formations offering competing narratives about responsibility for the state's economic trajectory.
West Bengal's industrial sector has faced sustained challenges over recent decades, with policymakers and analysts pointing to multiple contributing factors including labor relations, infrastructure development, and policy decisions across different periods of governance.