The Bengal State committee of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has decided to enter into a “seat sharing adjustment” with Congress for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The decision was taken at a recent State Committee meeting where majority of the members supported it, party sources said.
He also said that during the meeting CPI-M State secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra made it clear that the decision was “not final” and it has to be approved by the Central Committee scheduled on 6th-8th October. It will be first tabled at a politburo meeting on 26th September.
Reacting to the report, party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury insisted that the decision is not final and it has to be approved by Central Committee at its meeting on October 6-8.
“We have asked all state committees to come up with electoral tactics for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls keeping in mind the political line approved at the party congress. We will discuss the reports sent by the State committees in the politburo meeting on Sepetmber 26 and take final call in central committee meeting,” Mr Yechury said.
The party’s 22nd Congress held in Hyderabad in April had stated that the CPI(M) will evolve “Appropriate electoral tactics to maximize the pooling of the anti-BJP votes” this has to be done without having a political alliance with Congress. It does not explicitly rule out an understanding with Congress, which can still be worked out.
The Kerala unit of the party backed by former General Secretary Prakash Karat however is adamant that there should be no hobnobbing with Congress. Speaking to The Hindu, he said, “We will take a call once the State committee report comes.”
Party sources revealed that among the members from 23 districts 19 of them spoke in favour of a seat sharing adjustment, as was done during 2016 Assembly poll, and four of the districts argued against it.
“Majority of the State Committee members spoke in a favour of a seat sharing adjustment with Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, members from the districts of Kolkata, Howrah, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman [East and West Bardhaman] opposed the decision,” a CPI-M State Committee member told The Hindu.
He also said that during the meeting CPI-M State secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra made it clear that the decision was “not final” and it has to be approved by the Central Committee scheduled on 6th-8th October. It will be first tabled at a politburo meeting on 26th September.
There were few voices in the state committee who opposed the proposed seat sharing adjustment citing that such an arrangement did not work in the 2016 Assembly elections.
“While Congress benefitted in the last Assembly election by getting Left Front’s votes, Congress’ votes were not transferred to the CPI-M and Left Front allies. Those who opposed the decision argued that the same may happen again in the next Lok Sabha elections,” the State Committee member said.
Another State Committee member revealed that “ideological differences and long time rivalry” between the two parties were the key reason for opposing seat sharing agreement with Congress. According to party sources State Committee members-mainly from two large districts Malda and Murshidabad- argued that it would be “prudent” to enter into a seat adjustment with Congress where it has strong organisational presence.
“They (members in favour of an understanding with Congress) argued that joining hands with Congress will be useful in countering Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” sources said.
However, State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that they are yet to receive any proposal for seat sharing from CPI-M.
“We had an alliance with CPI-M in 2016. It was CPI-M who walked away from the alliance and not us. Now CPI-M has to take a call on it,” he said. He made it clear that State Congress is in favour of an “alliance” with CPI-M in the next Lok Sabha elections.
With inputs from Sobhana K Nair
