October 13, 2017 : Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and six other Central Committee members of the State- Bajuban Rian, Khagen Das, Bijan Dhar, Aghore Debbarma, Gautam Das and Rama Das – have left for New Delhi to attend the all important meeting of the CPM ‘s highest body.
The Central Committee conference that has come close on the heels of Politburo meeting held recently, assumes significance for the fact that it has been widely discussed in the media that Yechury and Prakash Karat are at loggerheads over alliance issue with Congress. If the media is found to be true, CC members will have to deal with extensively the two warring factions of the party- one led by Sitaram Yechury and the other by Prakash Karat while coming out with a draft politico-tactical resolution .
“Tripura CPIM is traditionally with the Prakash Karat faction –which is also known as Kerala group- that is opposed to any alliance with the Congress and for maintaining equi-distance from both the BJP and Congress.
Yechury group on the other hand strongly advocates electoral understanding with the Congress. The West Bengal CPIM throws its full weight behind Yechury”, said an Agartala-based Political analyst.
As for alliance with the Congress, which is West Bengal line, the Kerala –Tripura lobby pointed out the rout the CPM faced for such a tie up in the elections in West Bengal.
“The main task right at this moment is to ensure ouster of BJP led NDA from the centre. And for that the party CC meet will also have to discuss whether the strategy should be to bring into an alliance other secular political parties, especially Congress”, said a senior CPIM leader.
This meeting will –after settling the divisions and differences of opinion between the Karat and Yechury factions– have to finalize a draft tactical-political resolution. This draft will then be presented before the CPIM party congress in April 2018. Based on this draft the party Congress will then adopt a final poll strategy for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
