To ally with the Congress or not: Is CPI(M)’s indecision hurting its chances?

Two factions

While party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, supported by the party’s West Bengal unit, endorses tying up with Congress, former general secretary Prakash Karat and the Kerala unit are strongly opposed to the idea.

Despite discussing every aspect of the issue first in a Politburo meeting on 2 October and then at the three-day meeting of the Central Committee between 14 and16 October, the leadership failed to arrive at a consensus.

If the Yechury faction strongly advocated the need of a truck with the Congress, the Karat camp insisted on toeing the party official line which is against any form of understanding with the Congress.

Even if there was no voting officially, nearly half of the Central Committee (CC) members endorsed Yechury’s views.

The final decision will be taken at the 22nd Party Congress in Hyderabad on 18-22 April 2018.

Irresolution

Pointing to how the BJP is forever in election mode and the possibility of the next Lok Sabha elections being advanced, a party functionary lamented the indecisiveness of the CPI (M) leadership.

“The party does agree that the BJP-RSS agenda is far greater an evil than the Congress and its neoliberal policies," said a leader. “The BJP is forever in election mode and has already begun making its moves for 2019, and we are still sitting on an issue which will form the core of our electoral strategy."

“This indecisiveness, coupled with the decision being deferred to April, leaves us with no time to prepare for the polls. The misery could be compounded if the Lok Sabha polls are actually advanced to November-December 2018 ,” he said.

“Think about the cadres, they will only get to know in April if the Congress is a friend or not. The same goes for the voters,” he said.

Even if the central committee — the party’s highest decision making body does give a go ahead, going by the complexities of forging a tie up with a party that has been a traditional rival, the Marxists will hardly be left with enough time for negotiations.

Moreover, the CPI(M) will not just have to negotiate with the Congress but also with other Left Front constituents over possible seat sharing.

The CPI(M)’s tie-up with the Congress for the 2016 West Bengal assembly polls had created rift within the Left Front with coalition partner Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) openly expressing its anguish after being made to forgo some of the seats.

The need for a united opposition

Those advocating a tie-up with the Congress say the CPI(M) needs to play a proactive role in conjuring up an united front against the BJP, which got a further boost with the return of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his JD (U) to the NDA.

“Taking on the might of the BJP is not possible without broader unity of the Opposition and Congress has to be part of that. Aligning with the Congress might appear to be a compromise on our principles, but then one must not forget that we are up against an enemy which never hesitates in employing dirty tactics," says the leader.

“From tampering of EVMs to influencing and pressurising the Election Commission, we all know to what extent the BJP can go to ensure a win,” he adds.

But with both Kerala and Tripura, the two states where the Left is in power, are strongly opposed to the idea, a change in the Marxists’ tactical line seems unlikely.

Critics say a tactical alliance with the Congress will disillusion core voters and they cite the example of the 2016 Bengal polls where the tie-up proved to be a disaster. Decimated by the All India Trinamool Congress, the Left lost the position of the principal opposition party in what was once its citadel.

Post the Bengal debacle, the Central Committee had observed that the "electoral tactics adopted in Bengal were not in consonance with the Central Committee decision not to have an alliance or understanding with the Congress".

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has openly ruled out aligning with the Congress while his Tripura counterpart Manik Sarkar too is strongly opposed to the idea.

With both Kerala and Tripura, being integral to CPI(M)’s scheme of things, the two Chief Ministers’ opinions are expected to weigh more than that of others.

The leaders will look for a possible way out of the dilemma when the Politburo meets next in December.