TN CPM to launch campaign against rival BJP, ally DMK governments from June 11

CHENNAI: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam has announced a 10-day statewide campaign from June 11 to 20 focusing on key public issues and demands drawing the attention of both the BJP-led Union and DMK-led State governments. The campaign will include padayatras and two-wheeler rallies in towns and villages across the State.

In an interview with his party’s organ Theekathir, CPM State Secretary P Shanmugam elaborated on the objectives of the movement. “The campaign aims to reinforce our independent political identity and mobilise people around the CPI(M)’s core ideological positions and political actions. We must resist the dilution of our political identity in the name of electoral alliances or tactical compromises,” he said, citing the 24th Party Congress resolution.

Shanmugam said that the party has put forward four major demands to the Union Government. Among the major concerns the party plans to highlight is the unchecked rise in the cost of living. It has called for measures to bring down prices of essential commodities through reductions in fuel prices and GST rates. The campaign will also draw attention to the growing problem of unemployment, urging the creation of job opportunities and legal provisions for reservation in the private sector. The party remains opposed to the ongoing privatisation of public sector undertakings.

The CPM has also demanded the withdrawal of the amendment to the Wakf Board Act, which it argues is designed to appropriate the properties of Muslim communities and religious institutions. It has further urged the Union Government to safeguard constitutional values and halt hate-driven politics, especially acts targeting Dalits, Adivasis, Christians, and Muslims in the name of cow protection.

With regard to the State Government, the party will raise the issue of the delayed implementation of the promised monthly electricity billing system. The existing bi-monthly billing method, it contends, has led to inflated charges that are unaffordable for many. CPM has also expressed concern over the increased burden of property and waste taxes and has urged the State to reduce these levies.

Concerns have also been raised about police practices that allegedly restrict democratic freedoms, suppress protests, and enable custodial violence. The party has called for changes in police policy and the protection of civil liberties. Additionally, it has demanded the safeguarding of labour rights, citing the prolonged struggle of Samsung workers to register a trade union as a recent example.

Shanmugam called on party units and supporters to fully engage in the campaign. He said the movement would help popularise CPM’s policies, bring public demands to the notice of the governments, and intensify the ideological battle against communal forces.