Congress tieup: CPM emergency meet on February 12-13

The CPI(M) has decided to hold an emergency state committee meeting on February 12 and 13 to discuss a possible alliance with the Congress, a day after state PCC leaders met Rahul Gandhi and discussed the strategy that the party should adopt in the Assembly polls in Bengal. The CPI(M) state committee meeting would be followed by a central committee meeting in Delhi on February 17 and 18. The clamour in Bengal unit of CPI(M) has grown over the past few weeks for a tactical electoral tie-up with the Congress.

During the meeting at Mr Gandhi’s residence, there were differences of opinion among the state Congress leaders over an alliance with the Left Front. However, there was a consensus against an alliance with TMC. Encouraged by Monday’s development, CPI(M) satraps decided to hold the state committee meeting. “Our central committees will take a final call on the tactical electoral line for each state where Assembly elections will be held. The decision will be taken in the central committee meeting which will be held on February 17 and 18. The concerned state committees will send their opinions to the central committee which has the discretion to take a final decision,” said CPI(M) politburo member and former party general secretary Prakash Karat.

There was a nagging concern within the party that if the CPI(M) forged an alliance with the Congress in Bengal, then it would impact the party’s prospects in Kerala, where Congress is its principal opponent. CPI(M) leaders from Kerala had pointed out that if the party adopted a separate tactical electoral line in Bengal, then it would contradict the official party line which was adopted in the party congress.

However, the CPI(M) satraps felt that it was necessary to strengthen the party’s base in every state to remain relevant in national politics. The party’s Bengal unit has a soft spot for Congress. In 2008, the Bengal unit was totally opposed to Mr Karat’s decision to withdraw support from UPA 1. In the past one month, CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra and politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee have strongly advocated an alliance with the Congress.