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CPI (M) shuts its eyes: Karat line prevails |
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The CPI (M) central committee, the party’s highest decision-making forum, has supported key party decisions taken under Prakash Karat’s leadership in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. At its two-day meeting, the central committee held that it was not a mistake to snap ties with the Congress and look for a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative. The committee came to this conclusion despite the widely held view that these moves pushed the party to its worst electoral performance in decades.
Capping a month-long exercise to find out the reasons for the poll debacle, the central committee said the tactics adopted were correct. However, the party said its call for an alternative government without a cohesive national coalition was wrong.
Speaking to media persons in New Delhi on June 22, Prakash Karat said: “Our party reviewed the tactical line. The central committee is of the firm opinion that it was correct and necessary. There was no other option to withdrawing support to the UPA.”
Karat, however, admitted that some party men disagreed. He said: “On the question of timing, earlier also there was a discussion that we should have done it (withdrawal of support) earlier. There was near unanimity on the withdrawal of support in our party.”
Asked if he would take personal responsibility, Karat said: “I as the general secretary have taken the responsibility for implementing the decisions of the central committee. To that extent, I am also responsible along with the central committee.”
Observers say that the central committee meeting has shown that Prakash Karat retains his hold. Instead, the West Bengal lobby and state Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will now be taking “corrective measures at the organizational and governmental level.”
However, the fight between Karat and West Bengal lobby will continue till the next party congress to be held in 2011. Karat said: “We will discuss everything during the next party congress. The question about the timing of the support withdrawal will also be discussed.’’ Observers say that this is a partial victory for the West Bengal lobby and leaders like senior party leader Sitaram Yechury.
Blaming the state units also for the poll debacle, the central committee noted that in West Bengal, “political, governmental and organizational reasons” were also responsible for the setback. In Kerala, the central committee cited factors like disunity in the Left Democratic Front and the party leadership, the active role of the churches, the UDF and media campaign on the SNC Lavalin case and certain wrong trends within the party organization.
A meeting of the party politburo will take place on July 4-5 to discuss specifically the organizational matters in Kerala.
The CPI (M) central committee ruled out any change in its stand on opposing reforms in the financial sector. Karat said: ‘‘We will oppose measures to bring foreign capital to banking and retail. We will demand that the burden of the financial crisis be not passed on to the poor.’’
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