The lack of credibility of the “third front” envisaged by the CPI(M) at the national level in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections has virtually forced a re-think within the party about its central line and electoral strategy to move forward.
The politburo meeting remained inconclusive as some members pointed out that such efforts had failed citing the moves of the SP, BSP, RJD during the cut-motion in Parliament recently, even as these parties had supported the Left-sponsored Bharat Bandh on price rise.
The CPI(M) had even criticised the BSP’s support to the UPA government on cut motion against price rise brought by the BJP, stating that the BSP’s anti-communal stand was “strange” as the Mayawati-led party had shared power with the BJP on three occasions.
However, party sources said that it is not merely enough to criticise these parties, but the Left parties should have a clear approach before eliciting support from some of the “non-Congress, non-BJP parties” on people’s issues.
Senior politburo member M.K. Pandhe maintained that there were no opposition to the decision to withdraw support to the UPA government in 2008. “But there were discussions on other issues on which decisions were taken after the party congress. That was reviewed. We discussed these problems,” he said.
On the Bengal civic polls, party leaders said a preliminary report was presented in the meeting. “The West Bengal state committee will conduct a review of the election on the basis of which necessary political and organisational steps can be taken to win back the confidence of those sections of the people which have moved away from the party,” CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.
The CPI(M) also alleged that Union ministers belonging to the Trinamul Congress were inciting violence in West Bengal after the results for the civic body elections were announced.
On Kerala, the politburo claimed that various communal and casteist forces were being mobilised against the CPI(M) and the LDF government. The party has decided to conduct a vigorous campaign against the “interference of sectarian and communal forces” in the political affairs of the state. The politburo also demanded that the UPA government table the action taken report on the recommendations of the Ranganath Misra Commission in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.