HYDERABAD: The CPM will forge an electoral alliance with regional parties like Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar but will extend only issue-based support to the ruling TRS in Telangana. The electoral alliance with TRS may be discussed at the time of elections.
The reason the CPM attributes to this decision is that the parties like SP and RJD were firm in their opposition to the BJP but others like TRS in Telangana and TDP and YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh are not dead against the saffron party. The TDP or YSRCP may join hands with the BJP in order to crush their principal opposition and to grab power in the State.
The three-day Central Committee meeting of the CPM, which began here on Friday, discussed the penetration of BJP and its dangerous policies and also the role of regional parties. The meeting decided to work with like-minded parties to thwart the growth of BJP in the country.
“There is a need to create a counter-hegemony to stop the spread of Hindutva-corporate ideology of the BJP,” a CPM leader told Express. The CPM believes that the regional parties mostly try to retain or come to power and they would not focus much on secularism or communal forces.
“For example, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu opposed BJP on one occasion and joined hands with it on some other occasions. The same is the case with AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy,” a party leader said “But in Telangana, the ruling TRS began opposing the policies of BJP. That’s why the CPM is extending issue-based support to the TRS. For example, during the paddy procurement row, the CPM supported the TRS. But the electoral alliances with the TRS may not happen,” he added.
During Friday’s meeting, the party’s general secretary Sitaram Yechury presented the draft political resolution, which will be fine-tuned by the Central Committee and tabled before the CPM’s Congress to be held in Kannur, Kerala in April. The party’s Congress, which was put off due to Covid-19 and polls in West Bengal, will be held after four years.
According to sources, the political resolution moved by Sitaram Yechury mainly focussed on the fast penetration of BJP’s Hindutva agenda in the country. The BJP has been influencing the Election Commission and other Constitutional bodies and is trying to change the basic structure and characteristics of the Constitution. The BJP is damaging the federal structure, economic equality and social justice, a CPM leader said.
To fight the BJP ideologically, politically and culturally, the CPM will work with like-minded parties. “The BJP is even pushing forward the irrational things and superstitions in the education sector. We have to fight against this dangerous situation along with other parties in all five years. Working with other political forces should not just confine to electoral alliances or seat adjustments,” he added.
At the same time, the CPM observed that Congress had no alternative ideology to defeat the BJP. Though Congress had secular credentials, it would distance itself from Hindus if it pushes its secular agenda hard. The CPM will not have any direct electoral alliance with Congress. But where there was no alternative to BJP, the CPM may support or join hands with the Congress like in Tamil Nadu. Before the commencement of the first day’s meeting, Sitaram Yechury told reporters that the Central Committee would mainly focus on two major subjects, the current political situation in the country and the forthcoming Assembly elections in five states. The meeting would discuss the strategy of the CPM to be adopted in the Assembly elections, he added.
Pinarayi to interact with Malayalees
Meanwhile, CPM State secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram said that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would interact with the local Malayalees through a virtual conference at 6 pm on Saturday. The offline meeting of Vijayan with Malayalees was cancelled due to Covid-19, he said. Besides Sitaram Yechury and Pinarayi Vijayan, other top CPM leaders including politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Manik Sarkar, Biman Bose and Surja Kanta Mishra were present on the occasion.
New general secretary likely
The Central Committee will discuss the election of the new party general secretary as Sitaram Yechury has completed two terms in the post. Though the party’s constitution permits Yechury to continue for a third term, the party may elect a new general secretary this time and BV Raghavulu’s name may be considered for the post, said a source.