NEW DELHI: A section of CPI(M) leaders feels the issue of framing electoral tactics with non-Left parties has been given more importance as against strengthening the party organisation in the past.
The view came to the fore on the first day of a two-day CPI(M) politburo meet, which began here today, to discuss and give a final shape to the political organisational review report.
The said leaders are likely to put pressure on general secretary Sitaram Yechury and hold him responsible for "weakening" the organisation at the grassroots level, sources said.
According to some senior CPI(M) leaders, who refused to be named, the politburo would once again witness a division between the Yechury camp and the (former general secretary) the Prakash Karat camp during the discussions.
"Karat feels that because of the electoral tactic of having an understanding with the Congress, the Left voters got confused. Even the organisation did not grow. But the fact is that over the last few years, the Left parties including the CPI(M), have actually succeeded in bringing the Dalits, Adivasis, the youth and students under one umbrella. Karat and his camp feel that too much time has been wasted without strengthening the organisation which is not true," one of them said.
The glaring example was the Dalit Swabhiman Sangharsh rally, which was organised in Delhi, and the recent farmers' rally in Maharashtra which was organised by the All India Kisan Sabha, the peasants' wing of the CPI(M), and supported by other parties, the leader said.
The Dalit Swabhiman Sangharsh Rally was held in Delhi on September 16, 2016.
The rally was addressed among others by Yechury, CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy, Subhashini Ali of the DSMM, D Raja, Rohith Vemula's mother Radhika Vemula, Jignesh Mevani, Bezwada Wilson, Paul Diwakar, Vimal Thorat, Thirunavakkarasu, AIAWU, Nirmal, BKMU, and many others.
"We have to bring all sections of people towards our ideology. Through the dalit rally and the farmers' rally, we could bring together various sections of the society towards our party who were not earlier with us. This is a great achievement. This is how we can strengthen our organisation," one of the senior members said.
According to sources, the recent by-elections results in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has not been able to change the anti-Congress stand of the Karat camp.
It is known that while putting across its arguments, the Karat camp has pointed out that winning bye-elections was possible as the Left had supported the non-Congress parties against the BJP.
On the other hand, the Yechury camp feels that towing the line of the last CPI(M) congress of supporting the strongest non-BJP party in the elections still holds relevance.
The party would discuss the organisational report in depth in the politburo meeting before it is placed in the party congress to be held in Hyderabad in April.