CPM says Karat took third front talk too far; he won’t take rap

Asked whether he would take personal responsibility for the unrealistic position the party took,Karat said: “I,as the general secretary,have taken the responsibility of

implementing the party line… To that extent,I am also responsible along with the Central Committee.”

The party line,an enunciated by the 19th Party Congress and the January meeting of the Central Committee,was to build a non-Congress,non-BJP alternative. The overwhelming view at the Central Committee meeting was that the leadership overstepped this line and talked about forming a third front government on the basis of alliances in just four states. This,party leaders said,lacked “credibility” and was rejected by voters.

After a Politburo meeting on Friday,the Central Committee had met over Saturday and Sunday to discuss the CPM’s disastrous showing in the elections. On Monday,it briefed the media on the talks.

According to sources,Karat was attacked for his comments like asking the Congress to support a Third Front government if it wanted. Many argued that such talk changed the discourse,even giving rise to speculation that the CPM would join the government.

“We should not have extended it (the party line for building a third alternative) to call for formation of a government,” Karat said. “In the absence of a countrywide alliance and no common policy platform,the call for an alternative government was unrealistic,” the Central Committee concluded.

Questioned on the withdrawal of support to the UPA government on the nuclear deal issue,Karat hinted there were differences when he said there was “near unanimity” that the move was right. The Sunday Express had reported that former Lok Sabha Speaker and expelled CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee was against it.

“On the withdrawal of support,there is near unanimity in our party. On the question of timing,earlier also there was a discussion that we should have done it (withdraw support) earlier,” Karat said.

Analysing the election results,the Central Committee concluded that the “shortcomings” in the functioning of the Left Front government and party-ruled local bodies and “certain wrong trends and practices” in the party were behind the defeat in West Bengal.

In Kerala,the Central Committee identified the “disunity” in the Left Front,faction feuds in the party and alienation of minorities,particularly Christians,as the reasons for the defeat. The party’s controversial association with the PDP and the SNC Lavalin graft case against state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan also had an impact as these created confusion among the electorate.

Karat admitted that the fight between Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and Vijayan was getting out of hand and the matter needed to be addressed. “We need to settle some of our organisational matters in Kerala,which we could not do in the last three-four months because of the elections,” he said.

The Politburo is meeting on July 4 and 5 to discuss the Kerala situation.