The CPI(M) on Sunday unanimously re-elected Sitaram Yechuri its general secretary at its 22nd party congress here. In doing so, the party signaled a rapprochement between Yechuri and Prakash Karat factions over a host of ideological issues, including the CPI(M) approach towards the Congress.
Talking to mediapersons, Yechuri said the CPI(M) will not have a political alliance with the Congress but an “understanding” inside and outside Parliament to stop the forces of communalism. Yechury said the CPI(M) will chalk out its “electoral-tactical line” on the basis of State-based ground realities.
He said the CPI(M) has emerged united from this congress and it is determined to carry out “our revolutionary task” to put forth an alternative policy framework. It will mobilise people to strengthen the struggle to defeat the ruling BJP, he said. “This party congress was for unity. We will strengthen the struggle of people and move forward. This battle will be fought on the basis of alternative policies of the left. We have to defeat the BJP — that is our first task.
“We will have no political alliance with the Congress. But we will have an understanding with it inside and outside (Parliament) to stop communalism,” Yechury said.
Yechuri’s political line regarding whether or not the CPI(M) should involve the Congress to take on the BJP, had faced a major challenge.
The party leadership chose a middle path by deciding to amend the official draft on the issue by omitting the crucial phrase “no understanding” with the Congress, which was a victory of sorts for the “minority view” held by Yechury.
The official draft, backed by Prakash Karat, had said the party should unite secular democratic forces “without having an understanding or electoral alliance with the Congress party”. But in the amended document, it is written that the party can unite secular democratic forces “without having a political alliance with the Congress party”, thus keeping the doors open for an electoral understanding.
“The mass organisations would work on the basis of issues related to people. When elections will come, we would chalk out our electoral tactical line on the basis of State-based political ground realities according to the political line adopted in our party congress,” Yechury said.
“We are declaring to the whole country and to the world that we will not allow the secular democratic foundation of India to be torn by the communal forces and India will remain united,” he added.
Yechury had taken over as general secretary of the CPI(M) from Karat at the 21st party congress in Visakhapatnam in 2015. His election to the post for the second time was approved by the left party’s newly-elected 95-member central committee. Several names were being discussed in party circles as Yechuri’s successor in the run up to the mega meet, which began here on April 18.
Former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar, Politburo member Brinda Karat and secretary BV Raghavulu were among the possible contenders.