Even as it analysed the causes for the party’s embarrassing defeat in the West Bengal polls, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) decided not to be too harsh on the nascent Trinamul Congress government. The three-day politburo-cum-central committee meeting of the CPI(M), which began here on Friday, took stock of the party’s
current political strength in the wake of the humiliating poll defeat in West Bengal and a narrow electoral miss in Kerala. The soul-searching exercise on the first day was limited to the party’s politburo presided by general secretary Prakash Karat. The central committee meeting will be held on Saturday and Sunday with more leaders joining the exercise.
According to sources, the politburo studied the reports of state committees in West Bengal and Kerala and listed out the causes for the defeat, particularly in West Bengal, which had been a Communist bastion for more than three decades. The causes will be further analysed during the central committee meeting, which will come out with remedial measures to regain lost ground.
Even while strengthening its political and electoral base in West Bengal, the party will not immediately jump into an agitational mode so as to avoid people’s backlash. The CPI(M) wants to give some breathing time to the Mamata Banerjee government before it points out administrative lapses to corner Ms Banerjee. The party, however, is concerned over “increasing” attacks on its cadre allegedly by Trinamul activists. Incidentally, former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee missed the crucial politburo meeting citing health reasons.
The party’s West Bengal report was presented by secretary Biman Bose.
The politburo reportedly discussed the issue of strengthening the party units in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. There may be some political realignment just before the next Assembly elections in AP with the Communists dumping the Telugu Desam.
Central party leaders, including Ms Brinda Karat, Mr Sitaram Yechury, Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar and state secretary B.V. Raghavulu, participated in the politburo meeting.
The party seems to have taken collective responsibility for the poll debacle without picking out any leader and holding him responsible for the poor show.
Indications are that there would not be any change in the party set-up. However, the demand for inclusion of Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, the former chief minister of Kerala, into the party’s politburo has gained momentum. The veteran leader was removed from the politburo two years ago.
The central committee meeting will also chalk out the agenda for the 20th party congress scheduled for next year. Held once in three years, the party congress was originally scheduled for this year, but with elections in West Bengal and Kerala, it was put off to 2012.