Differences over Left-Congress tie-up: CPI(M) leader expelled

NEW DELHI: Severe differences over CPI(M)'s alliance with Congress in the West Bengal assembly polls came to the fore today, with the major Left party expelling a senior member of its Central Committee who claimed she had opposed the tie-up.

The first Central Committee (CC) meeting, held here after the rout in West Bengal with the Left Front coming third after TMC and Congress, saw a large chunk of its members opposing the tie-up, a line which was defended by the top brass and the party expelling CC member and AIDWA General Secretary Jagmati Sangwan for "gross indiscipline".

In a statement ahead of an official briefing on the three-day CC meeting, the party said "the Central Committee of the CPI(M) now in session in New Delhi has decided to expel Jagmati Sangwan (member of the Central Committee) from the primary membership of the Party for gross indiscipline."

However, Sangwan maintained she had announced in the meeting itself that she was quitting the party and all posts.

When her reaction was sought, she said "I told the meeting it was a wrong decision to have the tie-up which was a violation of the party's political-tactical line."

"The political-tactical line and democratic centralism are the life-line of a communist party which have to be maintained at all cost," Sangwan, who led the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), told PTI.

Asked what was the act of "gross indiscipline" by her for which she was expelled, Sangwan said "you should ask that question to them. I had announced my decision to resign from the party and the CC at the meeting itself."

For the past two days, the CPI(M) CC has been focussing its discussion on the West Bengal results and alliance with the Congress, besides considering review reports on its performance in the recent assembly polls in five states.

"The review reports of all the five states concerned were presented to the CC on Saturday. The discussion mainly revolved around West Bengal. The review reports of all the states were discussed, but West Bengal remained the focus," a party source had said yesterday.

In the West Bengal Assembly polls, CPI(M) suffered a humiliating defeat, winning only 26 seats in the 294-member House and was relegated to third position after TMC and Congress.

In Kerala, the Left Democratic Front led by the CPI(M) put up an impressive show winning over 90 seats to form government in the state.

In Assam and Tamil Nadu, it failed to open account, while in Puducherry, an Independent candidate backed by the party emerged victorious.