Amid protests by comrades from Kerala, the two-day CPI(M) Central Committee meeting has decided to adopt a “tactical alliance” with Congress in West Bengal for the upcoming Assembly polls. The meeting which ended on Thursday evening authorised the party leaders from West Bengal for forging a strategic alliance with the Congress to counter the mighty Trinamool Congress at any cost. However, party leaders maintained the final decision will be taken by the State committee.
“In West Bengal, the main task is to restore democracy and foil the aggressive efforts by the communal forces to polarise the people in the State by ousting the present Trinamool Congress Government. The CPI(M) will seek the cooperation of all democratic forces in the State to strengthen people’s unity in West Bengal to defeat the Trinamool Congress, isolate the BJP and their machinations,” said the cleverly worded party communiqué.
The next paragraph of the Central Committee resolution talks about ousting the “corrupt” Congress ruling Kerala. “The lDF in Kerala is in the midst of finalising the preparations for defeating the UDF in the State. The large scale corruption and misgovernance has discredited the Congress-led UDF Government. The Central Committee has appealed to the people of Kerala to uphold their progressive and democratic traditions and elect the lDF in the State with a decisive majority,” it said.
The decision to make strategic political alliance with the Congress in West Bengal was vehemently opposed by Prakash Karat and other leaders from Kerala. They pointed out the repercussions in Kerala on forging alliance with the Congress. Kerala and West Bengal are going to polls sometime possibly in May.
The party claimed the decisions were based on political-tactical line approved by the Party Congress. “The Central Committee worked out, in accordance with the political-tactical line adopted at the 21st Congress, the electoral tactics for the forthcoming elections to the assemblies of West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Assam,” said the resolution.
In Tamil Nadu, the party decided to ally with Vaiko’s party MDMK lead front. In Assam the party decided to stick with traditional left parties. “Oust the Congress from power, defeat the BJP and strengthen left and democratic forces in the interest of the unity-integrity, peace and all round development of Assam”.