CPM in fix over Congress support

The Congress’ offer to support CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury for a third term in Rajya Sabha has divided the Left party.

The party is in a fix not just over accepting electoral help from the Congress, but also over its leader’s renomination.

Yechury’s second term in the Upper House will end, along with five others from West Bengal, in August and the CPI(M) is not in a position to win on its own. However, the Congress can get its nominee elected.

The offer to support Yechury, and not the party, came from Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi when the Left leader had an accidental meeting with him in Parliament House earlier this month. The Congress leadership believes that Yechury’s presence in Rajya Sabha would be a boost for them as they are looking at unity to take on the Narendra Modi government.

This issue is likely to snowball into a confrontation between the West Bengal unit and a section of central leadership. Sources said the Bengal unit is all for taking up the Congress’ offer, like they did during the 2016 Assembly elections.