This refers to the editorial, “Fraternal fratricide” (January 23). Much hue and cry has been raised about the break-up of the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Ideologically, the Congress and the CPM are two poles apart. If the parties had joined hands earlier, it was not because they thought they could give better governance. The only one-point agenda was to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay. To this end, it's good that the CPM has realised that it is the voters who have the supreme authority.
Meanwhile, the BJP has sailed through all odds. It has been thriving across the nation. Realising this, CPM leader Prakash Karat has wisely decided to maintain distance from the Congress. Whenever the BJP has erred, the party has also received severe drubbings. But the infamous Congress, known for too many scams, is more in the eye of a storm. To make matters worse for them, the income tax department has imposed a fine of Rs 414 crore in connection with the National Herald case. This is an indictment of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Nevertheless, the CPM is not a fledgling party; it knows how to manage a situation without the Congress on its arm.