New Delhi: With his exit from the top post of CPM general secretary imminent, Prakash Karat is looking for options to “rule by proxy,” according to a section of party functionaries.
Mr Karat, whose leadership is being held responsible for the “CPM’s demise” at the national stage, is apparently trying to get his trusted lieutenant, octogenarian S.R. Pillai, elected as the party’s general secretary.
It is being claimed that the next step may be to replace Mr Pillai. If he decides to step down in next couple of years, and Mr Karat’s supporters will then get into action to bring in his wife and politburo member Brinda Karat as general secretary.
Though the Karat camp has trashed reports that there was any move to try and “make Ms Karat general secretary,” it, however, felt that her taking over as the Marxist boss “will go on to vindicate the party’s stand on women’s reservation and empowerment.”
Sources also claimed that Ms Karat deserved the elevation, as she was responsible for the increase in the CPM’s vote share in the tribal belts of Maharashtra and Jharkhand during the Lok Sabha polls.
The rival camp however claimed that if “Mr Karat is succeeded by his wife at the top post, he would simply be doing a Lalu Prasad Yadav, who ruled Bihar by proxy by making his wife Rabri Devi the Chief Minister.”
