In a land mark decision, CPI(M) Party Congress in Hyderabad has decided to approve coordination and understanding with Congress in parliament on the agreed issues and if needed building a left and democratic front.
The political resolution adopted in the 22nd Party Congress on Friday did not describe Congress as a class enemy but contended that any electoral alliance with Congress might jeopardize the chance of resurgence of the party in the country.
The resolution said, “We have tried to keep this spirit of the comrades in mind. As far as the political line is concerned, any political alliance with the Congress is ruled out. Such an alliance with the major party of the Indian ruling classes will weaken our struggle against building the unity of the people for a policy alternative to the ruling classes. It is on the basis of this line that future electoral tactics will be decided.”
“As far as the word understanding is concerned, we have defined the scope of that understanding with the Congress party. Within Parliament we have understanding with secular opposition parties including the Congress on agreed issues. We take forward the Visakhapatnam Party Congress resolution that we need a broad mobilization of all democratic and secular forces against communalism,” it said further.
The resolution also said that the party would try to build a left and democratic front as an alternative.
Summing up the discussion over political resolution, CPI(M) politburo member and party's former general secretary Prakash Karat, while arguing in favour of Sitaram Yechury placing a document on minority view, said “It is unprecedented that two views have been put before the Congress. The Central Committee decided that since this is a political issue it should be decided in the highest body of the party, the Party Congress. That is why Com. Sitaram Yechury placed the Central Committee’s minority point of view.”
He further stated, “It is not a question of some words, ‘understanding and alliance’, as some delegates have stated. It is the approach of how best to fight the BJP and RSS, and ensure their defeat. A large number of comrades asked the leadership to resolve the issue so as to go back from this (Party) Congress with the message of unity.”
He then called upon the party to first wage the struggle to defeat the authoritarian communal regime of the BJP and then to build a strong CPI(M) to advance the struggle for democracy, secularism and socialism to “forge a strong left and democratic front to create a left and democratic alternative”.
The resolution did not define that such left and democratic front would be an anti-Congress entity.
Many senior leaders turned it a victory for the party members who wanted an understanding with Congress to checkmate BJP across the country. In Visakhapatnam party Congress, the resolution had ruled out any understanding with Congress.
“This time it was the alliance which has been ruled out. An alliance means a pre-poll alliance which CPI(M) refused to undertake with Congress. But accepting understanding means there are a lot of scope and a lot of hope,” said a leader from Bengal attending the party Congress.
Sources have confirmed a senior central committee member from Bengal along with a politburo member, also belonging to Bengal, sat with Karat and pleaded with him not to allow the break of party for the second time.
“Yes we told him that despite erosion in power, CPI(M) is big in Bengal and in Tripura. It would be sheer inability on our part if we allow another break in the party on the same line over Congress. Prakash gave a patient hearing and all senior leaders later sat together to chalk out a strategy,” said the leader.
Sources said Yechury was visibly happy after the finalising of resolution and Karat, though had to relent, did have a face saver as well. He won some and lost some. Though he prevented Party Congress from having a direct alliance with Congress, he had to budge to allow Congress as a political force with whom CPI(M) would have to adjust in the future. After this Yechury will be all set to get his second term unopposed.
“We supported a Congress government in the past. But now central committee has been empowered to formalise any policy based on the political resolution taken in the party Congress,” said the senior leader attending the congress.