Divide within Left: Letter to BS on Yechury and Karat battle over policy

With reference to “Clash of the titans” (January 23), the ongoing personality clash between Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) does not augur well for the future of this party whose political base is fast decimating even in states where it considers itself to be comfortably placed. This snippet is right in observing that a split in the party might have been averted at its three-day Central Committee meeting where Yechury’s draft political resolution on the party’s future electoral line (tying up with the Congress) was defeated in favour of Karat’s by 55 to 31 votes. Perhaps, such a worrisome development could be unheard of in this cadre-based and highly disciplined political party.
 

Interestingly, the former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee is understood to have pointed out that Karat was responsible for the “crisis” in the party. He has also gone on to say that “in a sense, Karat’s victory is Modi’s victory” while settling some old political scores. However, the final outcome of the ongoing tussle may be known only at the party’s conclave which is scheduled to take place in Hyderabad in April. Any unsavoury situation here could always turn out to be a game changer.

 

Kumar Gupt, Panchkula Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to: 

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Kumar Gupt, Panchkula