The CPI(M) Polit Bureau on Monday overruled a proposal by a section of the party backed by general secretary Sitaram Yechury to amend the political line to ally with the Congress and other Opposition parties.
Mr. Yechury, according to sources, presented a nuanced view that the BJP needed to be dislodged from the seat of power. And to achieve this end, if need be, an alliance with the Congress or other secular parties should be allowed.
This view was vociferously opposed by a majority of the Polit Bureau members, especially those from Kerala who have consistently stalled any alliance with the Congress, the party’s main adversary in the State. “The majority view of the PB is that such an alliance does not help our cause. Merely standing with the Congress or other political parties will not effectively counter BJP,” a Poilt Bureau member said.
‘Political-tactical’ line
This is the second PB meeting to discuss the draft outline of the party’s “political-tactical” line. The resolution will be finalised in the party congress scheduled for April next year. The party congress meets once in three years and this one would be the last before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “We tried to arrive at a consensus, but since we could not, both the views will now be presented to the Central Committee,” the PB member added. The meeting is scheduled for October 14-16.
In July, the Central Committee had voted out a proposal for third term for Mr. Yechury in the Rajya Sabha since his election would have required the Congress’s support in West Bengal. Party insiders claim that the line supported by Mr. Yechury and the West Bengal unit is likely to face similar resistance as it did in July.
The draft resolution, according to sources, maintains a view that the BJP over the past three years has strengthened its position. “Since 2015, the BJP has strengthened its position, while the Congress is considerably weakened. Accordingly, we have worked out an approach,” another PB member said.
In 2002 too, the party had taken a similar position. It was decided that there will be no electoral understanding with the Congress. Out of the 43 seats that the CPI(M) won, the majority were in contest with the Congress. Their political line, however, did not stop them from extending outside support to the Congress-led UPA when it was evident that without their support, the BJP would form government.
The Party Congress line says that while the main direction of the struggle is against the BJP, the party will oppose the Congress, which the CPI(M) blames for helping the BJP come to power.
