CPI-M nod to West Bengal unit on tie-ups to embarass party in Kerala polls

KOCHI: The nod given by the CPI(M) central leadership to its West Bengal unit to cooperate with "all democratic force", including Congress, in the upcoming assembly polls is likely to cause embarrassment to the party at a time when it is getting ready to take on Congress-led UDF in April elections.

After the recent central committee meeting of the party, General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has said the party will seek the cooperation of all "democratic forces" in West Bengal to strengthen people's unity in the state to defeat the Trinamool Congress and isolate the BJP and their machinations.

Though the CPI(M) leadership played down the move to cooperate with Congress in West Bengal, party leaders in Kerala will have to explain the context that forced it to take the stand in the eastern state.

"There is no question of giving any confusing signal to party cadres in Kerala on this issue. There is no deviation from the political line adopted in the party Congress," CPI(M) leader and Rajya Sabha MP K N Balagopal said.

"We are trying to strengthen democratic forces to foil communal polarisation by the BJP and oust autocratic Trinamool Congress regime in West Bengal," he said.

Apparently under pressure from the Kerala unit, the central committee's position on West Bengal tie-up is couched in such a way that the party considers it "essential" to unite all democratic forces to oust Trinamool Congress headed by Mamata Banerjee, seeking to avoid any direct reference of an open alliance with the Congress.

BJP, which is struggling hard to gain its space in Kerala, said the "Left-Congress understanding" in West Bengal will be raised as a major issue in the polls.

The party said its time tested position that Congress and CPI(M) are on same page had been vindicated with the recent decision of the CPI(M) central committee.

"CPI(M) is exposed. They had been bluffing people of this country for quite some time. There is no difference between them and Congress. They should now explain to the people if they still oppose economic policies of Congress.

"We will definitely go to the people of Kerala telling them of double standards of the Communists. It will be a major poll issue," BJP national executive committee member Sobha Surendran said.