INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The CPM has hammered out a compromise over its relationship with the Indian National Congress
It still won't have a political alliance with the Congress but a crucial meeting on Friday decided to delete the provision in the draft
political resolution that barred the party from an electoral "understanding" as well.At its once-in-three-years meet, this time in
Hyderabad, the CPM's document setting out the roadmap, called the draft political resolution, has been tweaked till the final version was
acceptable to both sides - one that wanted no truck whatsoever with the Congress, the other that wanted to keep the door ajar to achieve one
objective: the ouster of the BJP.The means of achieving that objective has been rewritten somewhat.The line, that there should be "no
understanding or adjustment with the Congress" has been deleted in the final political resolution
Instead, it now only restricts the party from having a "political alliance with the Congress".It is an important shift, credited to party
general secretary Sitaram Yechury.Over the last few years, the debate over its relations with the Congress had grown, and turned bitter
Split almost down the middle, delegates at the party congress demanded that if the draft resolution had to be voted upon, it should be by
secret ballot and not the usual show of hands - so that delegates could vote without worrying about any consequences and reprisals from
within the party itself, such was the acrimony.With Tripura lost, BJP aggressive in Kerala and, in Bengal, having to start almost from
scratch, for the CPM, the party meet in Hyderabad was crucial.In January, CPM chief Sitaram Yechury had offered to resign when his party
rejected his position that CPM should keep doors open for some truck with Congress to defeat the BJP.Among those who persuaded him not to
was former party chief Prakash Karat whose stand against an alliance with the Congress was the one that got the party stamp of approval.With
Tripura lost, BJP aggressive in Kerala and, in Bengal, having to start almost from scratch, for the CPM, the party meet in Hyderabad is
crucial for the party.Both Mr Prakash Karat and Mr Yechury made matter-of-fact statements at the end of a day that could have ended in
acrimony."We are proud of the CPM," Sitaram Yechury said."It is the only party in India today which can undertake such a democratic exercise
to decide its future direction
We are all agreed that our main fight is against the BJP/RSS and to defeat this Government
After this Congress, we go back in a unified manner take this fight throughout the country"Mr Prakash Karat said it was unprecedented that
two views have been put before the party congress."It is not a question of some words 'understanding and alliance' as some delegates have
It is the approach of how best to fight the BJP RSS and ensure their defeat
A large number of comrades asked the leadership to resolve the issue so as to go back from this congress with the message of unity.We have
tried to keep this spirit of the comrades in mind."There are those, including in the Trinamool and the BJP, who don't think it is worth
their while talking about the internal turns and twists of the CPM which, they say, cannot have any political significance in the
foreseeable future.But in Delhi, CPM's new and formal position on Congress could cause some political ripples.While Mamata Banerjee is
trying to unite opposition parties against BJP, she did meet the Telangana chief minister KC Rao recently
He had called for a "non-Congress, non-BJP front."Recently, she ticked off Congress which was attacking Trinamool over rural poll related
violence in the same language as BJP
"You can't be friends with BJP in Bengal and oppose BJP in Delhi, Congress must clarify its position," she had said.Today, Trinamool did not
back the Congress-initiated impeachment motion against the chief justice of India
Yesterday, it was silent on the Supreme Court verdict on the Justice Loya case.But CPM has backed the impeachment move today and yesterday
was critical of the SC verdict.How these equations play out in the run up to 2019 will be closely watched in the coming days.
