It's party first for CPI(M)

The party is above the Parliamentary wing of the party — this seems to be the latest lesson for the CPI(M), which wanted to call a bandh and unite all anti-Congress forces over the issue of price rise. The CPI(M)’s Parliamentary wing, led by Sitaram Yechury and Basudeb Acharia, planned to collaborate with colleagues in Parliament to explore the possibility of a Bharat Bandh, a nationwide strike on the issue.

But the negotiations collapsed midway when other members of the Politburo, General Secretary Prakash Karat and others, intervened and reminded fellow comrades that such a major decision could be taken only at the top level of the party and not at the Parliamentary wing. The call for a nationwide strike will have to wait for a few more days before it gets the green signal from the red brass.