Left to change course in Kerala,Bengal

The soul-searching in the CPI(M) is over. And the general understanding is that there would be a course-correction in West Bengal and Kerala...

The soul-searching in the CPI(M) is over. And the general understanding is that there would be a course-correction in West Bengal and Kerala,both in the working of the governments and in the functioning of the party. The slogan of a non-Congress,non-BJP government failed,but efforts would continue to build a genuine third alternative.

The two-day meeting of the Central Committee saw many members,majority of them from Bengal,questioning the timing of the withdrawal of support to the UPA on the nuclear deal issue. They argued that the party had no plan of action to deal with the post-pull-out situation. Although the party line to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal was not challenged,many felt that the party should have prepared itself well since it was known that breaking of ties with the UPA was unavoidable.

Almost everyone admitted that the Third Front was a flop-show as the party erred in projecting poll alliances in some states as a national front to take on the Congress and the BJP. Some members said general secretary Prakash Karat’s comments created an impression that the Left wanted to form a government at any cost. His comments that if the Congress wanted it should support a Third Front government also came in for criticism.

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The party has admitted that there are shortcomings in the functioning of the Left Front Government in Bengal and the central committee has told the state unit to shed complacency. As far as Kerala is concerned,the special meeting of the Politburo convened next month has been authorised to take a decision to end the tug-of-war between Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. Sources said,some tough decision could be in the offing.

The faction feud in the Kerala CPI(M) played out in the central committee on the second day as well with VS,who skipped the discussions and left for Thiruvananthapuram,coming under scathing attack from Vijayan loyalists M A Baby and P K Sreemati. Baby,who holds the Education portfolio in the state Cabinet,alleged that the Chief Ministers actions and statements were detrimental to the party and accused him of trying to protect his own interests and image at the cost of other ministers and the party. Sreemati wanted VS to toe the party line and a change in his style of functioning.

From the CMs camp M C Josephine and P K Gurudasan argued that VS should not be singled out for the electoral setback,it is learnt. Josephine pointed out that it was the state leaderships unilateral decisions which proved to be disastrous and argued that the electoral understanding with the PDP was against the party line.

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