WB CPI(M) pitches for 'united fight' with Congress in state

Kolkata, Jul 11: CPI(M)'s West Bengal unit on Sunday made a strong pitch for continuing the "adjustment" with Congress in the state to fight against Trinamool Congress' "reign of terror" and BJP's "communal politics".

A large section of CPI(M)'s state committee leaders, in presence of the party's general secretary Sitaram Yechury and other Politburo members, said in order to fight against the "brazen attack" of TMC and communal politics of BJP, the "broadest possible unity" is needed and it cannot be achieved without Congress.

CPI(M)'s central committee had last month criticised the party's state unit for violating the 'official line' by aligning with Congress during the Assembly polls and called for rectification of the political line adopted by the state unit.

In the state committee meeting held today, it was decided that in order to implement the decision of the plenum held last year at the central committee level, a plenum at the state level will also be held in West Bengal to look into the organisational aspects of the party's state unit.

"A large number of leaders who have been vocal about an alliance with Congress have questioned the political understanding of a section of central committee leaders who have opposed the alliance," a state committee member said.

"They (the pro-alliance leaders) said that the central committee has failed to understand the extraordinary political situation in Bengal. They also said it was due to this extraordinary situation that CPI(M) in Bengal had gone for an adjustment with Congress," the leader said.

CPI(M)'s state committee member agreed that the line adopted in West Bengal may have violated the official party line, but the state unit was left with no other choice.

"We will continue our fight against TMC and BJP along with Congress. There will be united fight with Congress...the next big election is in 2019...So for the time being the question of alliance with Congress in elections doesn't arise. But our fight to create the broadest possible unity will continue," the state committee member said.

"Several leaders referred to how the Central Committee had ignored the sentiments of state unit, be it expulsion of Somnath Chatterjee or not allowing Jyoti Basu to become the Prime Minister in 1996," another state committee member said.

PTI