Ultimate Dipankar Bhattacharya and CPI(ML)

Nov 06, 2025 - By Ashutosh Roy Politics

Dipankar Bhattacharya and CPI(ML) in Bihar Election

When the left-wing politics is struggling to find foothold in their base regions West Bengal and Tripura, their triumphant victory in Bihar has reestablished their relevance. Winning 12 seats in Bihar Election have also sparked widespread discussion across India’s political and media landscape. They have proven that left can still thrive, but it needs capable leadership and robust organization. Dipankar Bhattacharya has modernized the party’s image.

He didn’t hesitate to move beyond old-style rhetoric while maintaining ideological clarity. Their consistent ground activism and mobilization of youth have certainly yielded them political dividends.

CPI(ML) has developed and maintained strong networks at the panchayat and block levels; unlike many ideological parties that remained confined to slogans.

Their flexibility lies in the adaptive strategies and political realism, unlike the CPI(M) Ex-Chief Prakash Karat. The critics may show excuses like anti-incumbency or weak administration for the debacle of Buddhadeb Bhattacharya Government in 2011, but the history will cry in silence.

Had Prakash Karat not withdrawn support from the UPA 2 Government over the nuke deal, Congress would never shake hands with Trinamool.

Dipankar Bhattacharya with his glittering academics

Its worthy mentioning that Dipankar Bhattacharya is one of the top rank rankers in Higher Secondary from Narendrapur. He is a Master of Statistics from ISI. So, none other than Dipankar Bhattacharya could exhibit a more pragmatic way to keep his party relevant in the main-stream politics of India.

It’s still unknown whether it will be the “beginning of the end of Modi”, but his pragmatic politics has drawn the attention of pan-India media.

People may raise eyebrows for the alliance with corruption-ridden RJD, but it can be easily countered. Nobody has forgotten that Prakash Karat had close door meetings with Jayalalita and Mayawati, who were alleged to reman corrupt to the core.

Electoral politics demands a lot of flexibility while adhering to the fundamental ideology, where Karat failed miserably. The result had become disastrous and the condition has been so appalling that CPM has to grapple for appointing Boot Level Agents even in Kolkata. The concept of their robust organization has miserably faded into history today.

Cadre-based Party Structure

The left parties’ foundation is based on the strength of solid cadre-based structure. Dipankar Bhattacharya ensures so that it remains cohesive, unlike the fragmented left in West Bengal.

Their desperation to remain under the seemingly secular Mahagathbandhan umbrella is increasingly seen as the ideological anchor of the anti-BJP coalition in Bihar Election.

The fact of life remains even Dipankar Bhattacharya has comprised in seat sharing arrangement in the ensuing election also. While the key objective is to keep away the Hindutva of BJP, certain sacrifices also become necessary.

Notably, despite ideological differences, the realpolitik of the situation compelled CPI(ML)  to forge into the electoral politics in nineties.

Late Jyoti Basu once said that the government can not function from the closed rooms of Writers’ Building. The party has to maintain a very close contact with the people, right down to the grassroot level.

In fact, the CPI(M) could spread its wing to the grassroot level in the beginning. Over time, their outreach to the grassroots turned into thuggery. The history somehow unfolds that the communist parties have given birth to authoritarianism time and again in various parts of the world.

Dipankar Bhattacharya in Mahagathbandhan

Indeed, CPI(ML) is a small constituent of the Mahagathbandhan. As a result, they are not to carry the legacy of 34 years’ ruling. However, the need for social justice politics has not come to an end. The socio-economic situation of the rural Bengal synchronizes with that of Bihar.

Perhaps the lack of intent of building a strong grassroot level connections has become vibrantly visible in West Bengal, whereas Bihar CPI(ML) shows just the paradox. That is the root of almost diminish CPI(M) in West Bengal and rejuvenating CPI(ML) of Bihar.