Jantar Mantar student stir, mass movements could impact Assembly polls: MA Baby

CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby on Sunday said the student movement at Jantar Mantar and other mass struggles could have a “very significant impact” on upcoming Assembly elections, claiming that such protests had helped break an atmosphere of fear among young people towards the Narendra Modi government, the RSS and its leadership.

Addressing a press conference after the CPI(M) Politburo meeting, Baby said the impact of the Jantar Mantar movement could already be seen in the BJP’s defeat in the Bankipur by-election in Bihar and expressed hope that similar movements would influence forthcoming state polls.

“At Jantar Mantar, our youth have demonstrated that they don't fear Narendra Modi, Amit Shah or the RSS. There was a general atmosphere of fear, which the protest removed,” Baby said.

Drawing a parallel with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha-led farmers’ agitation, he said mass movements could influence electoral outcomes, particularly in regions where such struggles had a strong presence.

“Earlier we had the Samyukt Kisan Morcha struggle; after that the Lok Sabha elections happened, and that impacted the particular belt where the agitation was powerful, and BJP lost many seats,” he said.

Baby said struggles involving workers, farmers, youth, women, Adivasis, Dalits and minorities could influence public opinion beyond the areas where protests are directly organised.

“People's struggles -- workers, peasants, youth, women, Adivasis, Dalits, minorities -- if they come forward and agitate, it will impact on the minds of people in the big cities,” he said.

On the coming elections, Baby said the CPI(M) would use whatever political influence it had to defeat the BJP and its allies. On seat-sharing, he said the party would hold discussions with political parties in individual states and assess which candidate had the best chance of defeating the BJP in each constituency.

The Politburo, which met on September 4-5, congratulated workers, peasants and agricultural workers who participated in nationwide protests on August 10 called by trade unions and farmers’ organisations. It also praised students and youth who protested against examination paper leaks, closure of government schools and inadequate facilities.

The party alleged that the RSS and its affiliates were attempting to divert attention from these issues through sectarian campaigns, including protests against reservations. The CPI(M) also criticised Prime Minister Modi’s use of the term “dimagi Naxal” in his Independence Day address, describing it as an attempt to stigmatise political dissent.

On the economy, the party questioned the government’s reported 7.8% GDP growth in the first quarter of 2026-27, pointing to agricultural growth of 3.6%, a contraction in mining, rising input costs, inflation, unemployment and malnutrition.

The Politburo also raised concerns over Census 2027, particularly the methodology for collecting caste data, potential linking of census information with other government databases, and implications for privacy, citizenship, electoral rolls and future delimitation.

On foreign affairs, it expressed concern over conflicts, particularly in West Asia, and urged the government to use the BRICS summit in Delhi from September 11-13 to oppose US aggression and support Palestine, Iran and Cuba.

The party also reviewed its rectification campaign, with Baby calling for greater focus on mass work and less emphasis on parliamentary positions. The CPI(M) Central Committee will meet in New Delhi from October 9-11 to further discuss the campaign.

The CJP called off its 36-day Jantar Mantar protest on July 25 after the central government accepted its key demands, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.