Sitaram Yechury pro-Congress line rejected by CPM central committee

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM central committee on Monday rejected party general secretary Sitaram Yechury and West Bengal unit's line for cooperation with the Congress to fight what he called the communal and fascist agenda of Modi-led BJP government. The CC approved the politburo outline which firmly opposed any form of tie up with the Congress. However, the Bengal unit made it clear that the issue has not ended yet. The CC meeting in January, the last one to be held ahead of the 22nd party Congress in Hyderabad,  will discuss the matter again.

The Kerala unit of the party had taken a firm position against any cooperation with the Congress. Finance minister Thomas Isaac, however, wanted the party to take the Bengal situation into consideration while finalising the tactical line. With the margin of difference between those opposing cooperation with Congress and those supporting it being slender, a division of vote was avoided at the CC. The CC authorised the politburo to prepare the draft political Resolution for the party congress on the basis of the polit bureau outline and the discussions in the central committee.

At the press conference held after the central committee meeting, Mr Yechury said the PB outline is never approved. It is for the sake of drafting the resolution.
“The draft resolution will be prepared considering both the PB outline and the discussions at the central committee. I cannot give you any further details,” he said Mr Yechury said the CPM is waging a war against BJP-RSS communal politics; neo-liberal economic reforms; subverting parliamentary democracy and educational and cultural institutions and their abject surrender to US imperialism. 
The campaign on these issues will continue and will be intensified further.
 

When asked about the differences between his line and that polit bureau member Prakash Karat, Mr Yechury said;  “You are the ones who write these reports and then ask questions. Let us not fool each other. Nothing has been rejected and nothing has been accepted. On the basis of PB outline and CC discussions the draft political resolution will be finalized,” he reiterated. When asked whether all options were still open on the political line till January 22 central committee meeting, Mr Yehury said; “First we will discuss in central committee and then in congress. This political fight is against the four-pronged attack of Modi government on our democratic polity which has to be fought to save the country and its people.

Mr Yechury said rallying of secular and democratic parties should not be construed as electoral alliance. “Our main focus is to strengthen the Left and democratic forces, he said.  “Every party congress reviews the past political line and defines the line for next three years. That is the basic agenda. The political line we took in last congress is valid till the next party congress. Whether the congress will endorse the same line or come out with a new line cannot be said now.”