CPM’s Gujarat unit leaves ground open for Congress

New Delhi: As the CPI(M) politburo meets on Saturday for yet another discussion on whether or not to explore electoral alliances with other Opposition parties like Congress, there is a quiet undercurrent in its state units, which are following the “practical” line of leaving the ground open for the Congress in order to defeat the BJP-RSS.

Leading the game is none other than the party’s Gujarat unit. In the state which goes to polls on December 9 and December 14, the local unit has decided to leave two of its strongholds Bhavnagar and Upleta for the Congress. Being the hub of trade union activities, sources said, the CPI(M) has a strong base in the two constituencies.

However, the local unit led by Gujarat general secretary Arun Mehta has apparently indicated that the party would support the Congress and that was the only option to keep the BJP out, the sources said.

This arrangement by the Gujarat unit is interesting in the light of the party politburo being in the throes of a discussion on whether the party’s political-tactical line should allow an electoral alliance with other parties read the Congress.

At the two-day politburo meeting to be held on Saturday-Sunday, two drafts would be circulated — one by the camp led by CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and the other by the Prakash Karat faction.

While both the drafts talk of the need to strengthen the party and its political intervention, strengthen the Left Front, forge Left Democratic Front unity and achieve the main objective of ousting the BJP government and its policies, it is on how to electoral tactics would be suitably worked out to oust the BJP government which is the bone of contention.  

While the Yechury draft talks about suitably working out electoral tactics to oust the BJP government without entering into an alliance with any “Bourgeoise” party, the Karat draft says that unity with parties should be sought.