CPI-M meet to focus on strategies to counter Modi govt

Triennial exercise will see delegates in country giving final shape to political and tactical lines after threadbare debates

Meeting at a time when the party's stock has dwindled, the 21st congress of CPI(M) beginning here tomorrow will focus on future alliances and strategies to be adopted to respond to the political situation in the country.

The six-day meet, a triennial exercise, will see delegates from all over the country giving final shape to political and tactical lines after threadbare debates.

While acknowledging that the party has failed to live up to the aspirations of the people as reflected in the last Lok Sabha polls, a senior party functionary said there is still scope for the Left to make a comeback to the centre stage.

"The Indian voters are no longer loyal to one particular party and the situation may force the CPI(M) to rethink its strategies in terms of political alliances in future," party secretary for Andhra Pradesh P Madhu said.

He acknowleged that the CPI(M) failed to cash-in on the "anti-people policies" of the UPA-II and NDA governments, giving scope to parties like AAP to rise up to the occasion.

"People are no longer supporters or loyal to one particular party. They are dynamic. We supported UPA-I to prevent NDA from coming to power. But in that situation, we allowed BJP to grow strong. We did not put up enough fight to prevent some forces coming to power," Madhu told PTI.

He said they will deliberate on the political situation and discuss and work out strategy for strengthening the party during the six-day meet to begin from tomorrow.

The Congress will also elect a new general secretary on the last day of the meet on April 19 in place of incumbent Prakash Karat, whose term is coming to an end.

Though senior politburo member Sitaram Yechury is considered the favourite for the post, the party leaders maintained that it will be known only after the elections.

Signals from the party are that the policies of the Narendra Modi government and the "threat posed by" right wing Hindutva forces would be discussed at the meet.

Giving indications of this, Madhu said the current economic situation in the country is similar to what the US faced in 2008 due to the sub-prime crisis.

Terming Modi government as "anti-people," he charged that benefits worth thousands of crores of rupees were allotted to corporates in the latest budget.

"The BJP is using communal card to implement neo- liberalism. That would lead us to the same crisis what USA faced in 2008. We would discuss matters related to alternative mechanisms for these kind of issues," he explained.

All politburo members and 900 delegates of the party from across the country would attend the meet.