CPI(M) Central Committee’s decision could have repercussions on state politics

The decision of the CPI(M) Central Committee which says that the electoral tactics adopted in West Bengal were not in consonance with its earlier decision to not have an alliance or understanding with Congress, has “censored” Surya Kanta Misra, the party’s state secretary and politburo member and a key figure in inking the tie up with Congress.

Political experts say this would have a far reaching effect in the state as infighting between pro and anti alliance leadership would go up. Also, CPI(M) will not be able to form an alliance with Congress in 2018 Panchayat and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and also in the by-election in Tamluk Parliamentary seat, which has fallen vacant due to the resignation of Suvendu Adhikari, who is now the state transport minister.

The pro alliance leaders in the state committee, who had criticised the alliance, will get a new lease of life and will hold the pro tie-up leaders like Misra, Gautam Deb and Mohammad Selim responsible for the poll debacle.

This will also have an impact in the district committees. It may be mentioned that in the two-day state committee meeting held on June 11 and 12, Amal Halder from Burdwan had said that he felt ashamed to see the photograph of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Rahul Gandhi in the newspapers.

Criticizing him, Shamik Lahiri had said the decisions of politburo or Central Committee were not like 

“The Bible” or “The Gita” and the alliance was the need of the hour. The pro-alliance lobby will be cornered as they will have to swallow the pill. There will be no electoral alliance with Congress in 2018 Panchayat election and neither the Congress nor Left will be able to field candidates in the Zilla Parishad and many of these seats will be won uncontested. Political experts said that there was a possibility of mass exodus of rank and file to Trinamool Congress and BJP. 

They said because of weakening of Left Forces, BJP will become powerful in the state and will be a major power in 2019 Lok Sabha election. The divided opposition will help Trinamool to consolidate its position in the state.