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CPM decides against electoral truck with Cong

Last Updated 21 January 2018, 17:05 IST

Some anxious moments. A bit of suspense. Some earnest appeals. And finally, the inevitable.

The CPM Central Committee (CC) on Sunday voted against a resolution favoured by party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, which had appealed for an electoral truck with the Congress in the fight against the BJP.

Instead, the party placed its faith in the resolution by Yechury's predecessor and Polit Bureau member Prakash Karat, who wanted no trucking with the Congress.

Riding on the support from the powerful Kerala lobby, Yechury's resolution was defeated by a 31-55 vote.

The party had been divided on the issue of being part of a larger Opposition platform with the Congress for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Yechury, in a desperate bid to project a unified face of the party, appealed to the CC members to avoid voting on the two draft resolution brought before the powerful body of the party.

His logic was that with barely a month left for the crucial Tripura Assembly elections, the party and the Left front as a whole need to stand united against the BJP.

A section of the CC, led by several members from West Bengal, said since the matter concerns the party's future political line, the apt forum to discuss the issue is the 22nd Party Congress scheduled in April in Hyderabad.

But voting became inevitable when the lobby with the majority, owing allegiance to Karat, rejected Yechury and said taking the two draft resolution to the Party Congress will only mean the CC is not sure about the line the party needs to adopt for its future.

They also said the Kolkata CC meet was the third such meeting of the body over the two resolutions and a decision has to be made this time.

Party sources told DH that with a deadlock around the corner, the Polit Bureau had met late on Saturday night, where Yechury expressed his desire to step down as general secretary.

He said since the general secretary's views are being rejected time and again, him continuing at the helm will not send out a good message to the party's rank and file. He, however, was disuaded.

Talking to reporters after the concluding session of the CC meet, Yechury said, "The CC has voted in favour of a draft political resolution during today’s meeting and has adopted it with certain amendments. The CC has decided that the party will ensure maximum votes against the BJP, but there will be no electoral adjustment with the Congress. The draft will be placed before the Party Congress, where a final call will be taken. A decision on electoral alliance or such can only be taken when elections come. We will cross the bridge when it comes."

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(Published 21 January 2018, 15:52 IST)

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