Kolkata: With the clamour for forging an alliance with Congress growing louder, majority of CPI(M) state committee members have spoken in favour of either an alliance or an electoral pact with Congress by stating "extraordinary situation demands historic decisions".
The state committee leaders also opined that the party can't lose the opportunity of bringing the maximum share of anti Trinamool Congress (TMC) votes under one umbrella.
The views of the state committee will be placed before the party's Politburo and central committee to take a final call on the issue of alliance with Congress in Bengal.
"We can't afford to lose even a fraction of anti-TMC votes. It is high time that we respect the aspirations of masses as extraordinary situations call for historic decisions. West Bengal is having a extraordinary situation where an unofficial emergency is on," said a senior state committee member.
"Just like yesterday most of the state committee members have spoken in favour of either alliance or electoral understanding or pact with Congress, although there were few views which opposed any kind of alliance with Congress. Party general secretary Sitaram Yechury who was present yesterday had given a patient hearing to the views of the state committee leaders," a senior state committee member told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Yesterday, several state state committee members who had spoken in favour of the alliance had cited the example of Soviet Russia fighting along with the US and UK during the Second World War against the bigger evil of fascist Germany.
The CPI(M) today concluded its two day state committee meet which discussed electoral tactics, including an alliance with Congress. The final decision on the issue will be taken by the party's Central Committee on February 17 and 18.
With the West Bengal Assembly polls coming up in a few months, the state leadership of CPI(M) and Congress have been advocating an alliance to take on the ruling TMC.
The CPI(M)-led opposition Left Front on February 11 had formally agreed to discuss the issue of alliance with Congress, if it was approached.
Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra have called upon the Congress to join hands with the Left Front to oust the TMC from Bengal.
