In a major threat to Prakash Karat and his faction, CPI(M) leaders in West Bengal have vowed to split the party this year if the party would not approve an alliance with the Congress before 2019. They have given the upcoming party congress in Hyderabad as the last opportunity to keep the party united.
A senior central committee member from West Bengal told THE WEEK, “If they (Karat's faction) are adamant, so are we. We will see till the party congress. If the broader coalition with secular parties is not approved, we will have no other way but to look our own way.”
The majority of CPI(M) members in West Bengal, the leader said, believes Karat and his faction taking an upper hand is totally uncalled for.
“I fail to understand that if he would not let the general secretary work, then why he took an initiative to bring Sitaram Yechury as general secretary? It would have been better had he continued as general secretary,” said the leader.
Another senior state committee member said that last year, the CPI(M) had warned Karat that he should not let the party split on such a 'silly' issue.
“Why is he letting the Bengal party split on such flimsy grounds? Even if not in power, the West Bengal CPI(M) even today is the biggest party. The party would be the major sufferer if it allows the Bengal unit to break away,” said the leader.
Central committee member, Shyamal Chakraborty, however, added a fresh salvo to the voice of dissent by posting in social media that the central committee meet in Kolkata last week did not take any resolution asking the party men to maintain equal distance from Congress and BJP.
Chakraborty criticised the party comrades by terming them as political novices.
“There is a limit to debate. Debate is good but some comrades are taking it in a different way. Party has not asked to maintain equal distance from BJP and Congress. It has decided to make BJP as the prime enemy. The party has decided that in certain seats where CPI(M) is not fighting and there is a secular candidate, we can cast our vote in favour of that secular candidate. It can be Congress even,” said Chakraborty, a veteran Marxist leader from Bengal.
He reminded the party that the party men within the party should not be seen as a political enemy.
“We should not make our leaders as our enemy. Our enemy is BJP only. Those who are voicing their own opinion, in Jyoti Basu’s words, they lack self esteem,” said Chakraborty.
However, despite Chakraborty’s role in dousing the fire, CPI(M) leaders have given a final 'ultimatum' to the Karat and Kerala 'lobbies'.
“Those leaders would have to correct themselves, otherwise we would have to take the final call very soon,” said the leader.
Former central committee member and Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee said that at this ripe age he felt bad for the party, which he still supports.
“I feel sad for what Prakash (Karat) is doing. If he is sensible, then he would have to go for a broad secular coalition in India; otherwise, he would help BJP,” said an ailing Chatterjee.
