CPM set for revamp after poor show

After a humiliating poll debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, the CPM has decided to go in for revamping the party. 

The move which is uncommon to a political party like CPM, will be given a final shape in the first week of June when the party’s supreme decision making body meets to review the election results.

The decision to revamp the party was taken by the politburo on behalf of the Central Committee on Sunday. The decision includes both “political” and “organisational” changes. It means that the party may opt for some drastic changes in the party line on various issues.

“The politburo will meet again on June 6 to finalise the election review and the political-organisational steps to be taken in the present political situation. This will be placed before the Central Committee meeting on June 7 and 8 for discussion and adoption,” the party said in a statement.

The party leadership is said to have been facing heat for quite some time and majority of the leaders felt that the party is declining fast. Though it is not clear whether there was a direct demand for the resignation of Prakash Karat as General Secretary, it is said that a section of the party, particularly from West Bengal has been for change in the leadership.

Karat was also under attack after West Assembly elections. However, he survived it.  His term is going to expire in 2015 and according to the party constitution no one can get more than two terms.

The politburo seems to have rejected Karat’s observation he made after the poll results that results in West Bengal were “distorted”.

He had said that there was widespread rigging and violence during the last three phases of the elections in the state and the entire democratic process was vitiated. “The results do not reflect the strength and support of the people for the Left Front in West Bengal,” he said.