The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has now pressed into service six politburo members, including party general secretary Prakash Karat, senior leaders Brinda Karat, Sitaram Yechuri, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Left Front chairman Biman Bose and Industries Minister Nirupam Sen to take on Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in her Kolkata South turf, from where she is seeking re-election.

The CPM leaders are to hold a series of rallies, road shows and mass meetings in Kolkata South to launch an offensive against Banerjee.

Party insiders say the CPM wants to hem in Mamata in her turf — the Trinamool chief is pitted against CPM’s Rabin Deb who she defeated in 2004 by nearly a lakh votes—so that she has little time to campaign for her candidates elsewhere.

“This is an important constituency and therefore it is natural that our party’s top leadership will campaign here. People in Kolkata South have understood that Mamata Banerjee is anti-development and anti-progress and therefore I will win with a huge margin,” Deb said.

While Bose will address two rallies, one in Behala East and another in Bhowanipur on May 7, Yechuri, will address a rally in Topsia on the same day.

This will be followed by a rally on Broad Street, Ballygunge, where Brinda Karat will be the main speaker on May 8. Sen will hold a rally on the same day in Rashbehari, apart from participating in a roadshow.

Prakash Karat will hold a rally on May 9 in Charbasti crossing in Kolkata port area. The next day, on May 10, the chief minister will hold two rallies in Kolkata South, first in Barisha High School Maidan at Behala Chowrasta and the second at Kasba.

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