CPI(M) leadership trying to walk middle path to avoid split

Kolkata: With cracks appearing in the CPI(M) over the issue of going for an adjustment with the Congress to counter the BJP, the leadership is trying to walk a middle path to avoid a likely split in the party in the next party congress.

The CPI(M) central committee meeting here on January 21 had voted against a draft political resolution, pitched by its General Secretary Sitaram Yechury proposing alliance with the Congress.

The party had adopted a draft resolution favoured by those supporting politburo member Prakash Karat ruling out any form of electoral alliance or adjustment with the Congress.

"The difference within the party, especially between two senior most leaders is sending out a wrong message about the party in public. We need to solve this urgently," CPI(M) politburo member Hannan Mollah told PTI.

According to CPI(M) sources, the leadership is trying to take a middle path where both the warring factions can be brought to peace by "adopting a political resolution" which can have a "window for some sort of adjustments" with secular forces including the Congress.

A senior CPI(M)leader said the ongoing battle of ideas within the party can be termed as a fight between "pragmatic"

CPI(M) represented by Yechury and "dogmatic" CPI(M) represented by Karat.

The cracks within the party came out in the open when Yechury openly stated that he had expressed his desire to quit his post, a claim denied by Karat.

Yechury along with a large section of leaders from Bengal have been vocal about the adjustment with Congress to stop the BJP.

But his political line has been vehemently opposed by Karat, known as a hardliner in the party.

Former CPI(M) central committee member and Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee felt that the decision of not going for an adjustment with the Congress will prove to be another blunder in the future.

"I feel very sad after seeing what is happening. The party has committed many blunders from not allowing Jyoti Basu to become Prime Minister in 1996, to not joining the government in 2004. This will be another blunder," he said.

"We have a clear understanding about the menace of the BJP. The Tripura unit is also having a taste of the BJP's divisive politics. But despite attacks of the RSS, the Kerala unit is yet to understand the magnitude of the threat the BJP poses," a CPI(M) central committee member said on condition of anonymity.

Although the CPI(M) is divided over adjustment with the Congress, its allies like the CPI is in favour of broader unity of secular forces including the Congress.

"We feel that there should be broader unity of secular and democratic forces including Congress to stop the march of BJP," CPI leader D Raja said.

Other Left allies the RSP and the Forward Bloc are yet to take a call on this issue.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had criticised the CPI(M) for adopting a draft political resolution ruling out adjustment with the Congress.

"The BJP is the biggest threat the country is presently facing and all the secular and democratic forces should unite with the Congress to counter it," Ramesh had told PTI.