Antony slams Kerala CPI-M for ruling out anti-BJP pact with Congress

Senior Congress leader A.K. Antony on Sunday slammed the CPI-M's Kerala delegation, whom he termed as instrumental in the decision, arrived at the party's Central Committee meeting in Kolkata, ruling out any alliance with the Congress to fight the BJP.

Speaking to the media here soon after hearing what the ruling Left party decided in Kolkata, Antony said that opposing Congress in the fight against the BJP is as good as turning a traitor.

"The Kerala CPI-M leadership is behind this as they want Modi more than protecting the secular fabric of our country. History will never forgive them, nor will the people of Kerala," he said.

With the sole exception of State Finance Minister Thomas Issac, all Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) Central Committee members from the state voted against their party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury's point of view, favouring a soft attitude towards the Congress to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

At the end of the meeting, 55 members voted in favour of former General Secretary Prakash Karat's strong position that there should not be any truck with the Congress in any form, with 31 voting against it.

Among the 14 central committee members from Kerala which includes politburo members, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and M.A.Baby and others, it was only Issac who did not take part in the voting as he was absent, stating that he has urgent work with regards to the presentation of the state budget on February 2 and was on his way back to the state.

Vijayan and Balakrishnan had early this month categorically emphasised that under no circumstances, should the CPI-M have any sort of adjustments with the Congress, even while declaring that the BJP as the main enemy.

The only notable dissenting voice to this adamant stand from Kerala was Issac, who had made his point of view quite clear in his speech at the Central Committee meeting on Saturday.

Vijayan, who is now the final word in the CPI-M in Kerala, also ensured that in case voting takes place, it should, under no circumstance go Yechury's way, by ensuring that each member from Kerala takes part, including the ailing 82-year-old former state minister P.K.Gurudasan, who had collapsed at a party meeting here recently.

Former Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan, who is only an invitee to the Central Committee and has no voting rights, did not go for the meeting but he wrote a letter to Yechury expressing moral support to his stand that to fight the BJP, all options should be explored, including an understanding with the Congress.

--IANS

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