Majority in Politburo felt tie-up with Congress violated party line: Jagmati Sangwan

“The central committee meeting was called specifically to discuss the review of the assembly elections in five states, of which the electoral tactics adopted in Bengal was of greater significance. Politburo majority note presented in the meeting called the electoral tactics adopted in Bengal a violation of the party’s political line,” she said in a Facebook post.

“General secretary presented a minority view of the Politburo which was not ready to see this as anything more than ‘not in consonance’ of party line. Both West Bengal secretary (Surjyakanta Mishra) and chairman of West Bengal Left Front (Biman Bose) literally blackmailed the entire central committee that if the Politburo majority note is accepted then they will resign,” she said.

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“In spite of this threat, more than two-third of central committee members spoke of how the electoral tactics was indeed a violation of the party line and how this is badly affecting the party in their own states. Yet the final Politburo note amended the majority note and replaced ‘violation’ with ‘not in consonance’. This was done by putting aside the majority opinion of the central committee and, in effect, this meant that no responsibility would be fixed for the violation of the line,” she said.

Sangwan said the “understanding” with the Congress was the “worst example of violation” of party line. “This has resulted in our party’s worst ever electoral performance in the state. I feel the election results are only a reflection of complete rejection of this opportunistic alliance with a bourgeois party that has a history of inflicting severe violence against our own cadre in Bengal. The fact that even after election results, several state leaders have made public statements upholding their alliance with Congress and against central committee only goes to show how cut off they are from the wish of the masses,” she said.

She said her resignation from the party was a “purely ideological decision” taken because “my conscience does not allow me to toe a line that hits at the interests of a party of the masses”.