AIDWA General Secretary Jagmati Sangwan, the party’s Central Committee member from Haryana, has resigned from all posts after the Committee did not take action against the West Bengal pro-alliance brigade. The party has expelled Sangwan, who claimed to be one of the opponents of the tie-up, for “gross indiscipline”. She was expelled from the party for raising the issue when the meeting of the CC was on.
However, Sangwan maintained that she had announced in the meeting that she was quitting the party and all posts.
Reacting to her expulsion, 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.” She added: “The political-tactical line and democratic centralism are the lifeline of a communist party, which have to be maintained at all cost.”
The first Central Committee (CC) meeting, held after the Left’s debacle in the state, is understood to have witnessed a large number of members opposing the tie-up.
“The CC concluded that the electoral tactics adopted in West Bengal was not in consonance with the Central Committee’s decision not to have an alliance or understanding with the Congress,” CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said on the conclusion of the 3-day meeting.
The CC also said the decision “should be rectified” and added: “The Central Committee stressed on the importance of adhering to the political tactical line adopted at the 21st Congress of the party. The CC authorised the Politburo to ensure its implantation in consultation with the state leadership of the party.”
Party insiders said the CC meeting witnessed acrimonious debate over the party’s alliance with the Congress for two days. The CC members from the state tried to convince that had the party not forged an alliance with the Congress, its performance could have been worse in the recently concluded Assembly elections. The party has only 26 MLAs, worst since 1972 when it had 14 MLAs.
CC members from Tripura launched a scathing attack against the Congress, saying that most of its legislators had joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). They questioned the step the party should take post the devastating debacle. “Should it continue the alliance with the Congress?” the members asked.
The debate forced most CC members to demand a poll on the continuation of the Left party’s alliance with the Congress. It was found that of the 91 CC members, 66 were not in favour of the alliance.
The pro-alliance – led by Suryakanta Misra, Mohammad Salim and former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee – had said before the election that the alliance was the need of the hour. In the state committee meeting held in January, some members had strongly opposed the tie-up, but their voices were muzzled.
The pro tie-up leaders did not even consult the Left Front partners, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Forward Bloc and CPI. Misra was found sharing the dais with Manas Bhuniya of the Congress. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee shared the platform with Congerss scion Rahul Gandhi and described it “as a historic event”. In the last state committee meeting held on June 11 and 12, the pro-alliance leaders had described those who opposed the alliance as “secessionist forces”.
The Central Committee had asked the state unit to take steps to bring back those workers who had become inactive. It also called for a bigger alliance with people to fight against the TMC.