'Jyoti Basu rejecting PM post not factor': Prakash Karat on CPI(M) decline

New Delhi: The decline of the CPI(M) was caused by the erosion of support in West Bengal and Tripura, veteran leader Prakash Karat has said and added a roadmap to rebuild the party's strength would be discussed during its upcoming all-India congress.

Karat -- who served as the CPI(M) general secretary between 2005 and 2015 -- further said he did not consider veteran leader Jyoti Basu declining the prime minister's post in 1996 as a reason behind the party's decline.

"It is a fact that the party's independent strength and influence have not grown ... And that's primarily been due to the erosion in our base of support in West Bengal and Tripura, two of the strong states that we have," Karat said in an interview with PTI.

"So, the focus of our forthcoming party congress is how we strengthen the party," the CPI(M) interim coordinator added.

The CPI(M) had 43 MPs in the 14th Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009. Its tally declined to 16 in 2009, nine in 2014 and three in 2019. The party won four seats in the Lok Sabha in the 2024 elections.

In state assemblies, the CPI(M)-led Left Front was defeated by the TMC in West Bengal in 2011 after being in power for 34 years. It was defeated by the BJP in Tripura -- which the CPI(M)-led coalition had governed since 1993 -- in 2018.

Speaking about preparations for the party congress, Karat said political and organisational reviews during the past three years had been done. Shortcomings and weaknesses in political, ideological and organisational work would be identified during the meet.

"Keeping in mind that … Our political task or goal still remains how to isolate and defeat the BJP or the Modi government, for that you need wider unity. We recognise that. How to maintain this wider unity, a broader platform, that we will have to strive for," he said.

"At the same time, we don't see this as separate. Strengthening of the CPI(M) will also help strengthen the overall opposition unity or strengthening of the Left. And we feel that the Left's alternative politics or policies need to be projected as a rallying point for the fight against the various policies of the Modi government," he added.

He also disagreed with the suggestion that the party's decision not to accept the prime minister's post offered to then-West Bengal chief minister Basu in 1996 as a reason for its gradual decline.

"We should not forget that our main strength in Parliament at that time came from West Bengal … And our party does not think being in government or in any position will help to increase the strength of the party," Karat told PTI.

"What we had as (our) strength in West Bengal was decades of work, struggles of the different sections of people for their rights. And that led to the formation of the Left Front government there (in 1977)," he added.

The party's strength does not grow by having some ministerial positions, the veteran leader said.

"That is why, at that time, we felt it wouldn't be helpful. Politically, we were committed to having a United Front government," he said.

Noting that the CPI(M) had 32 Lok Sabha MPs in 1996, Karat said that, as a minority government, it would not have had the freedom to implement policies.

Thirteen smaller parties, including Left Front constituents, formed the United Front government after the 1996 elections, with outside support from the Congress.

After both Basu and former prime minister VP Singh declined, HD Deve Gowda took over as prime minister in the United Front government. He was succeeded by IK Gujral, whose government collapsed in 1998.

Karat, who took over the party's running last year, said the passing of general secretary Sitaram Yechury came as a setback just as preparations for the all-India congress had started picking up pace.

However, the party's organisational structure made it possible to carry the preparations forward, he added.

"Our Politburo and Central Committee work on a collective basis, we were able to overcome this loss immediately" Karat told PTI.

The 24th All-India Party Congress of the CPI(M) will be held in Tamil Nadu's Madurai on April 2-6.

Karat said a new leadership would emerge as the Central Committee had instituted an age limit of 75.

"Those who pass 75 years of age will not be eligible to be elected to the Central Committee. And the Central Committee elects the Politburo (members) and the general secretary," he added.

According to the party's draft political resolution, to be discussed at the Madurai meet, the CPI(M) would continue to cooperate with the INDIA bloc and other regional parties against the BJP and also work on strengthening Left unity while focusing on increasing its mass base and influence.

The document also stressed on the urgent need to expand the independent strength of the CPI(M).