THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM central committee on Thursday rejected the West Bengal unit’s proposal for electoral alliance with the Congress but allowed tacit understanding in view of the peculiar political situation in that state.
The central committee sought the cooperation of all democratic forces without naming the Congress to remove the Trinamool Congress government from power and to isolate the ‘communal’ BJP.
The Bengal unit will place the central committee’s appeal before non-TMC and non-BJP parties to elicit their response and suggestions. Once that process gets over, the state secretariat and state committee would come back with concrete proposals before the politburo which has been authorised to take a final decision on the electoral tactics to be adopted in Bengal.
“We want to strengthen people’s unity and that’s why we are appealing to all democratic forces. What shape it will take and how it will happen, only time will tell. The main issue in Bengal is not about characterisation of a party but to restore democracy,” CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury told reporters after the meeting.
As many as 174 of my comrades have been martyred in the last two years. No party can survive in the state with such large-scale violence,” he said.
Earlier, the majority of the 91 members of central committee including those from Kerala opposed the alliance with the Congress. Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan submitted a note backing the Bengal move in view of the grim political situation there. Dr Thomas Isaac also favoured a realistic approach towards the concerns raised by Bengal.
Once the tacit understanding is worked out, the Left Front and other democratic parties, including Congress, will work out a mutually beneficial electoral plan to ensure their votes do not get divided.
Mr Yechury has also accused the TMC and BJP of being hand in glove. He said the “go-slow” attitude adopted by the Modi government on the multi- crore Saradha chit fund scam was in reciprocation for TMC support which the BJP so desperately needed in Parliament.
“The TMC is also sharpening the consolidation of Muslim fundamentalist forces while the BJP is seeking to consolidate Hindu communal forces to feed on each other,” he said.
