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Journalism of Courage
Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan on Wednesday broke ranks with his fellow comrades from Kerala and backed the West Bengal unit’s demand for an electoral understanding with the Congress for the forthcoming assembly elections.
This is not surprising since the 92-year-old veteran is perhaps trying to please the leaders from Bengal and hoping to secure their support in the Politburo and the central committee when the issue of the next chief minister comes up — that is if the party returns to power in Kerala.
If VS, known as a hardliner, has preferred practical politics and existential issues over ideology, his comrades from West Bengal are doing the same. They are pitching for a tie up with the Congress as they fear a successive defeat in the assembly elections would spell doom for the party in Bengal. They fear physical as well as organisational annihilation.
Keystrokes: Congress Vs CPM, Kerala Vs West Bengal
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However, the leaders from Kerala are unwilling to budge and cite the political line adopted at Vishakhapatnam last year which forbids any hand holding with the Congress. Interestingly, the Congress in Kerala does not have such fears. They believe the BJP is in a position to open their account in Kerala assembly winning a couple of seats and argue a tie up in West Bengal would not dramatically alter the political situation.
The BJP in Kerala, of course, is harping on the possible Left-Congress alliance in West Bengal to target both parties. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was in Kerala at the end of the state BJP’s yatra, borrowed Malayalam words to attack the two parties. He said while the two are fighting each other in Kerala, a ring ceremony is being planned in Bengal.
The opposition from the CPM Kerala apart, Prakash Karat and company too cannot accept an alliance with the Congress. CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury is said to be in favour of an unofficial understanding at the local level without publicising it. As the CPM central committee, its highest decision making body, continues to discuss the issue, sources said an unofficial understanding seems to be best way out.
The CPI(M) Politburo was divided on the question yesterday with the majority opposing an alliance and rejecting the West Bengal unit’s proposal. The proposal along with the Politburo’s view are being discussed by the central committee.
Sources said leaders from West Bengal argued that CPM and Congress workers at the grassroots level want an understanding. They spoke about the sentiment and mood of the people to oust Mamata from power. They argued that an understanding between the Left and the Congress would help avert a split in the anti-Trinamool Muslim votes. They point out that the CPM-led LDF won in Kerala in 2006 despite the fact that the Left parties were then supporting the Congress-led UDF government from outside.
