NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Madurai Party Congress, senior Politburo member and interim coordinator of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), Prakash Karat has said there is no clarity on moving forward after the Lok Sabha elections because of the lack of collective discussions in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. He said his party wants the coalition’s constituents to come to a common understanding on its future course of action.
He also exuded confidence that the alliance will continue, not “dependent on what happens nationally” but on agreements reached on a state-wise basis.
The CPM’s 24th Congress takes place in Madurai from April 2 to 6. “There has been no clarity about how to go forward with the India bloc after the Lok Sabha polls. In Parliament, INDIA bloc parties cooperate on all the issues and policy matters that have come up, but there has been no discussion outside of that.
Such a discussion is required. It is not for us to decide anything; we are not such a major force, but we would like all the parties to sit together and discuss and come to a common understanding on how to proceed. That has not happened so far,” Karat told this newspaper, maintaining that the party will take a call on the poll pact on a state-by-state basis.
Karat stated that because there has been no collective discussion, there is a general feeling that it has become directionless now.
Regarding the possibility of reaching an understanding, Karat said that the commitment is that the anti-BJP and non-BJP should unite. Citing existing alliance arrangements in Bihar and Tamil Nadu, the CPM leader said, “There is already a Mahagatbandhan (grand alliance), which, even, preceded the INDIA bloc, so that will probably continue and may be strengthened…in each state we will take it state by state.”