VISAKHAPATNAM : ‘’Good that the parties that got separated have come together. This will strengthen the Opposition,” commented Brinda Karat on the Janata Parivar merger. But Brinda was quick to rule out any merger of the Left parties, even of the CPI with the CPM proposed by late parliamentarian Hiren Mukherjee. However, Left unity is the call of the CPM’s ongoing 21st Congress here in the steel city.
But soon enough, a subtle yet significant difference surfaced. Sitaram Yechury, known to be in a close race with the elderly SR Pillai to succeed Prakash Karat as the next CPM general secretary, warned the Janata Parivar of going for an opportunistic election-oriented merger, without working out policy convergences.
Yechury, one could say, was plying the just adopted ‘political tactical’ line of the CPM with a minor amendment. But, it did ran a bit contrary to Brinda Karat’s ‘welcome’ note for the J-merger. Yechury is said to have the backing of only the Bengal lobby. Tripura has not made up its mind.
As for Kerala, the mild and gentlemanly SRP, who admittedly wants to retire from politics after three years, at 80, some may want to give him a chance to helm the party. SRP has, as the buzz goes, the backing of the powerful Pinarayi faction of the Kerala party. This being the context, the Yechury-Karat contrary quotes became interesting.
But, the person who’s going to take the final call Prakash Karat is keeping the cards close to his chest.