The CPI-M’s decision to stay away from the coordination committee of the INDIA bloc was, doubtless, compelled by the party’s ground-level political realities in states like Bengal and Kerala. But it’s also a reflection of the party’s resistance to getting involved in any form of organizational structure which it may have to, if push comes to shove, abandon later.
“In Bengal there are evolving issues and unfolding stories. We would want an optimum anti-BJP Opposition unity in the state based on the emerging political situation but we would like to stay away from those faces in the Trinamul Congress who are politically compromised and whose images are already tarnished in public domain,” Md Salim, CPI-M politburo member, told The Telegraph Online.
Refusing to even acknowledge the INDIA bloc as an "alliance", Salim said: “Right from the start, the CPI-M never ever considered this bloc to be any form of political partnership, but merely an attempt to build a people’s movement based on some common understanding.”
“I believe that the media went with the RSS prescription of calling this an ‘alliance’ so that it can later say that the alliance has fallen apart,” said the leader.
Adding the party’s perspective to the current standings within the bloc, Salim said: “For us the picture is clear. There would be no one-on-one fights at the all-India level, no all-India seat adjustments and no concrete political structure can emerge from this coming together of diverse parties. Those adjustments can only happen at the state-levels with the intent of forging maximum unity among the Opposition parties against the BJP. That will also depend on the realities of each state and will vary from state to state.”
On his way to Delhi on Monday morning to attend the special session of the Parliament, Trinamul national secretary and INDIA coordination committee member Abhishek Banerjee responded to the CPI-M’s decision to stay away from committees: “I am not aware about CPI-M’s political situation and I wouldn’t prefer to comment on that. In this fight against the BJP we have welcomed every other like-minded Opposition party to be a part of the fight. What the CPI-M or any other party may think about it is solely their call.”
Political observers, keeping a close eye on the developments, feel that the Left’s distance from the bloc should keep Mamata Banerjee relieved as far as Bengal was concerned. “Keeping the results of the recently concluded rural polls and Dhupguri Assembly bypolls in hindsight, the Trinamul should want the Left to be gaining its political foothold so that it is able to stop the anti-Trinamul votes from concentrating in BJP’s kitty. That way, the Left fighting the polls outside the alliance should be good news to Mamata Banerjee,” one of them observed.
“We had urged the INDIA constituents to take our common political understanding to the people in the form of rallies and public meetings and build a political mood among them against the BJP government during the run-up to the general elections. That proposal has also been agreed upon now. We said we would participate in that move in a whole hearted manner,” Salim continued, “Some of the constituents of the bloc want to give it an organizational structure. We don’t believe that a political front would work without a common political ideology which is missing here. We have never been part of all-India fronts before, only extended support from outside.”
Drawing attention to the Opposition’s Bengaluru conclave agreeing to the reality that there cannot be a nation-wide state adjustment formula, Salim stated: “So, without any all-India seat adjustments or a building a unified political platform, it makes no sense to have a steering committee of sorts for a bloc of this nature. What would be its task? The issues for the bloc have also been identified. It’s already evident from three conclaves which this bloc has had so far that political leaders from various parties would come, discuss and decide on the next course of action.”
Advocating for the need to keep the INDIA bloc structurally loose, the Left leader opined: “Already there are 28 parties in the bloc and more are expected to join. What’s the point in having a coordination committee which doesn’t have representation from all its constituents and does not get equal status in the bloc?”
“The situation is currently such that several political groups, NGOs and well-meaning individuals fighting the BJP in their own sphere and capacity can also become part of this bloc. We will be able to accommodate them better if we do away with political structures,” he added.
