Calcutta, Jan. 24: The CPM today set its poll machinery rolling by asking its zilla parishad sabhadhipatis and district party secretaries in Bengal to launch Lok Sabha election campaigns in rural areas immediately.

The party instructed its 40,000 elected panchayat members to immediately start a door-to-door campaign, realising that the proposed taxes on domestic animals and livestock in rural areas might go against the party in the Lok Sabha elections.

A meeting held today at the party headquarters at Alimuddin Street directed panchayat members to take special care in implementing schemes on mass education, health, rural electrification and self- employment.

The meeting, addressed by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, panchayat minister Surjya Kanta Mishra, and CPM panchayat sub-committee convener Madan Ghosh, was held only two days after Bhattacharjee ticked off some cabinet colleagues, including state education minister Kanti Biswas and information and technology minister Manab Mukherjee, for their “poor performance”.

“You have to be extra-cautious this time to counter the false propaganda of the Opposition. You should tell people that the government is not imposing any taxes on domestic animals, rural transport and livestock,” state CPM secretary Anil Biswas is learnt to have told those present at the meeting.

“If possible, you should also carry the copies of the government circular sent to panchayat bodies concerning withdrawal of such taxes,” Biswas said at the meeting presided over by Left Front chairman Biman Bose.

The minister later claimed that the party has published five lakh documents explaining that the government has no intention of levying taxes on the poor. “We want party leaders to distribute those documents among people in the rural belt to clear their misconception about proposed taxes.”

“The campaign in rural Bengal will continue for one month. We have instructed our elected members to go to every house and inform the people that our government is not going to impose taxes,” Biswas maintained.

Earlier, Bhattacharjee also categorically denied the Trinamul Congress’ allegation that the government was going to impose taxes on domestic animals in rural Bengal.

“Ours is a pro-people government and we can’t take any decision that will hurt the poor,” Bhattacharjee said at a recent party gathering in Durgapur.

Later today, Biswas told mediapersons that the party has prepared a tentative list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.

“We will refer the list to the politburo and the central committee, which will meet in Hyderabad for four days from January 28.”