At least two dozen political and apolitical outfits, including the Congress and CPM, will organise a joint convention on October 29 in Calcutta to chalk out a plan of action against the proposed Deocha-Pachami coal mine project in Birbhum.
At a news meet at the Calcutta Press Club on Monday, leaders of several organisations announced their next course of action against the proposed coal mine, outlining six major demands.
These include the suspension of basalt mining operations in the name of the much-hyped “Asia’s second-largest coal mine” and a judicial probe into the alleged transfer of the mining contract to another agency.
CPM politburo member Ramchandra Dome and Congress leader Prasenjit Bose — campaigning against the project since it was announced by the Bengal government — were among those who announced the plan.
The joint convention of multiple like-minded platforms assumes significance ahead of next year’s Assembly polls at a time when the ruling Trinamool Congress has been projecting the proposed coal mine as a success story for the Mamata Banerjee government.
Wednesday’s convention is important because Congress state president Subhankar Sarkar and CPM state secretary Md Salim will share the dais along with representatives of other anti-Trinamool and anti-BJP platforms.
The joint political initiative of the Congress and CPM is notable at a time when neither party has clarified its stance on the 2026 Assembly poll alliance. Dome said the joint exercise was focused on the Deocha-Pachami issue and "no one should try to read future political equations into this move". Bose echoed the CPM leader.