No decision in CPI-M politburo meeting on sending representative to INDIA coordination panel

Kolkata: The CPI-M politburo, at the end of the two-day meeting in New Delhi on Sunday, has not taken any decision on sending any representative to the coordination committee of the opposition INDIA bloc.

A communique issued on the party on Sunday evening did not have a single mention even about any discussion in the matter during the crucial meeting, though expressing support for the bloc.

"The Polit Bureau decided to work for the further consolidation and expansion of INDIA bloc to strengthen the efforts to safeguard the secular democratic character of the Indian Republic, the Constitution, Democracy and People’s fundamental rights and civil liberties. This requires that the BJP must be kept away from controlling the Union government and State Power. The Polit Bureau decided to further strengthen these efforts.

"The Polit Bureau endorsed the CPI(M) position at the last three meetings of INDIA bloc in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai to organise a series of public meetings across the country and to mobilize the people to ensure the defeat of the BJP in the forthcoming elections. Efforts should be focused to further expand the INDIA bloc and also to draw in significant sections of the people’s movements in this effort," it said.

However, the communique added: "While all decisions will be taken by the leaders of the constituents, there should be no organisational structures that will be an impediment for such decisions."

"This is clear indication that the chances of sending a representative in the coordination committee is virtually zero. A clearer picture will evolve after the three-day meeting of the party’s Central Committee on October 27 and October 29. Till that time the coordination committee of INDIA bloc will function without any representative from us," a party Central Committee member, who did not wish to be named, said.

Generally, the politburo takes a decision on any issue, implements it and later seeks the concurrence of the Central Committee in the matter. However, in this case, the politburo has decided to take any decision based on the wider consensus within the Central Committee amid rising criticism from the comrades from West Bengal over the party’s General Secretary Sitaram Yechury sharing the dais with Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee at the INDIA front meetings.

Now, sending someone in the INDIA bloc coordination committee will mean that party representative sharing the same dais with Trinamool national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, against whom the party is organising regular protest demonstrations in West Bengal over the various financial scams in the state.

So probably understanding the sensitivity of the matter, the politburo has kept the matter officially untouched in the two- day meeting, feel political observers.

Currently, there are 13 members in the coordination committee of INDIA bloc and the14th berth has been kept vacant for the CPI-M. After the previous meeting of INDIA in Mumbai where the coordination committee was formed, it was decided that the CPI-M will name its representative later.