While Rahul Gandhi slams, the CPI(M) smiles? Yes, this seems to be so now in the political scenario in Bengal.

Taking a leaf out of the book of stalwarts like the late Promode Dasgupta, P.C. Joshi and P. Sundarayya, the CPI(M) leadership wants to give greater responsibilities to young, energetic and articulate party leaders.

The CPI(M) has on Wednesday questioned the locus standi of Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to be the mediator for peace talks as proposed by Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao, alias Kishenji.

The CPI(M) seems to be reconciled to the idea that the Assembly elections in Bengal and Kerala will be a “lost” battle. In its desperate bid to retain power in the two states, at the CPI(M) extended central committee meeting held at Vijayawada, the party satraps decided to go back to the time-tested strategy of painting the Opposition as “representing the interests of the big capitalists, landlords, the rich and the vested interests that seek a strategic alliance with imperialism and who use

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and the party’s dissident West Bengal unit appear to have struck a quid pro quo deal at the recent extended central committee meeting here: in return for letting the Bengal unit determine strategy for the coming Assembly elections, it will not directly challenge Mr Karat’s authority and supremacy till the 2012 party congress.

The CPI(M) extended central committee meeting starting from August 7 at Vijayawada is all set to witness the clash of two titans, certainly ideologically, over the party’s political final tactical line. The Bengal unit of the party led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has planned to seek a review of some “arbitrary decisions” like ill-timed withdrawal

Showing a gesture to his alliance partner Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s over charges that the Marxist party has set up a suicide squad to eliminate her, Union finance minister Pranab Mukhe

Maverick Marxist leader Subhas Chakraborty who was often chided in his life time for his acts of defiance by the central party bosses, has emerged, even after his death, as a rallying point for the anti-Karat section of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M).

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat eventually prevailed upon the Bengal unit of the party to toe his line and defend expulsion of Somnath Chatterjee from the party following his refusal to resign as the Speaker of Lok Sabha in July 2008.

Being wary and worried, particularly after the back-to-back poll drubbing in Bengal, the CPI(M) after a two-day brain-storming state committee meeting has decided to go back to its basics — streamlini