In a significant show of commitment to grassroots funding, veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and former Solapur MLA, Narsayya Adam, has contributed his one-month pension to bolster the party's campaign for the upcoming Solapur Municipal Corporation elections. The move underscores the Left party's traditional reliance on contributions from workers and the common people rather than corporate donors.
Funding Through the People, For the People
The pension donation was announced during a meeting held on Wednesday, where the party successfully collected Rs 3 lakh through individual contributions and donations from workers' unions. Adam, a three-time MLA who won assembly elections in 1978, 1995, and 2004, explained the party's ethos. He stated that the CPM represents the working class and the poor, deliberately avoiding wealthy donors to remain true to its principles.
"We follow the decades-old tradition of ‘Note Bhi Vote Bhi' (donate both money and vote)," Adam said. "This practice keeps us connected to the people and ensures our accountability remains solely to them, not to any financial backers." Fondly known as ‘Master’ due to his prior teaching profession, Adam's personal donation symbolizes this deep-rooted connection.
MVA Alliance Strategy and Seat Negotiations
Adam confirmed that the CPM plans to contest the civic polls as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance to effectively challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party has initially sought 20 seats in the 102-seat Solapur Municipal Corporation. However, Adam indicated a pragmatic approach, expecting to settle for around 12 or 13 seats after negotiations with alliance partners.
To ensure fairness and rotational power-sharing within the alliance, the former MLA has proposed an innovative model. "I have proposed that each party in the alliance should get a year to hold the mayor's post," Adam revealed. This suggestion aims to foster cooperation and equitable distribution of responsibility among the MVA constituents.
Targeting BJP's Record on Development
Adam launched a sharp critique on the BJP's governance record in Solapur, despite its dominance at the Centre, state, and within the corporation since the 2017 election where the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance ousted the Congress from power. He highlighted two critical issues that will form the cornerstone of their campaign.
"Solapur faces severe water shortages and there has been poor development in the merged areas," Adam asserted. He also criticized the pace and impact of the Smart City project, stating, "The city is dug up under the Smart City project, but there's no real progress visible to the citizens." The CPM leader affirmed that these pressing local concerns would be raised vigorously to defeat the BJP in the upcoming election.
