CPM opens option for ‘understanding’ with Congress to fight BJP

CPM opens option for ‘understanding’ with Congress to fight BJP

The CPM has hammered out a compromise over its relationship with the Indian National Congress. It still won’t have a political alliance with the Congress but a crucial meeting on Friday decided to delete the provision in the draft political resolution that barred the party from an electoral “understanding” as well.

At its once-in-three-years meet, this time in Hyderabad, the CPM’s document setting out the roadmap, called the draft political resolution, has been tweaked till the final version was acceptable to both sides – one that wanted no truck whatsoever with the Congress, the other that wanted to keep the door ajar to achieve one objective: the ouster of the BJP.

The means of achieving that objective has been rewritten somewhat.

The line, that there should be “no understanding or adjustment with the Congress” has been deleted in the final political resolution. Instead, it now only restricts the party from having a “political alliance with the Congress”.

It is an important shift, credited to party general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

Also Read : Ready to ally with Congress ,where it can beat BJP : CPM

Over the last few years, the debate over its relations with the Congress had grown, and turned bitter. Split almost down the middle, delegates at the party congress demanded that if the draft resolution had to be voted upon, it should be by secret ballot and not the usual show of hands – so that delegates could vote without worrying about any consequences and reprisals from within the party itself, such was the acrimony.

With Tripura lost, BJP aggressive in Kerala and, in Bengal, having to start almost from scratch, for the CPM, the party meet in Hyderabad was crucial.

In January, CPM chief Sitaram Yechury had offered to resign when his party rejected his position that CPM should keep doors open for some truck with Congress to defeat the BJP.

Among those who persuaded him not to was former party chief Prakash Karat whose stand against an alliance with the Congress was the one that got the party stamp of approval.

With Tripura lost, BJP aggressive in Kerala and, in Bengal, having to start almost from scratch, for the CPM, the party meet in Hyderabad is crucial for the party.