CPI-M to take call on alliance with Congress in Bengal

The CPI-M in Kerala will certainly face the heat if the CPI-M in West Bengal goes forward with an alliance with its arch rivals here - the Congress party.

CPI-M State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told reporters in Kozhikode on Saturday that the upcoming party meetings in Delhi would take a decision on the matter.

"There has been no decision of any alliance and the final call will be taken by the politburo of our party next week," said Balakrishnan.

The Visakapatanam Party Congress of the CPI-M held last year had categorically decided that it will have no association with the Congress party, but things have appeared to change when a huge majority of the West Bengal unit of the party during a meeting on Friday decided to have a tie-up with the Congress as it heads for the assembly polls.

Senior CPI-M leader and convenor of the Left Democratic Front Vaikom Viswan said he has no knowledge of it.

"I have no clue of this, but we have our central committee and politburo meetings in the coming week," remarked Viswan.

Kerala and West Bengal go to the polls at the same time and the BJP here is certain to rake up the issue of this new found alliance to its maximum, if the CPI-M decides to have a tie-up in West Bengal.

Political commentator S.Jayasankar said that it would be foolish of the CPI-M to enter into a tie-up with the Congress as it will undermine their performance here.

"The CPI-M's stock has been going down since it entered into a tie-up with the Congress led UPA formation since 2004 and it has not recovered since then and hence it will be suicidal for the CPI-M to have any electoral alliance," said Jayasankar.