CPI(M) meet: Voting likely on sending draft resolutions

The CPI(M) Central Committee is expected to go for a voting tomorrow after it failed to reach a consensus on the number of draft resolutions that should be sent to the upcoming party congress for discussion.
The three-day central committee meeting began here yesterday to finalise the political and tactical resolutions to be adopted at the party congress in Hyderabad in April.
Today, the meeting witnessed heated debates and discussions among leaders of Bengal and Kerala units with the former in favour of sending two drafts to the party congress.
The CPI(M) top brass is trying to avoid voting on this issue and an urgent Politburo meeting was called to decide on the matter tonight.

Party sources said two draft resolutions were placed in the central committee meeting.
One draft favoured adjustment with the Congress to stop the BJP and has the support of party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, and the CPI(M) West Bengal unit and a large section of Tripura unit are in its favour.

It proposed that CPI(M) should be open to a UPA-1 like political adjustment when the party had extended outside support to the Congress government at the Centre.
Another draft is against any alliance with the Congress and proposed broader unity of the Left parties to stop the BJP-RSS. It is supported by former general secretary Prakash Karat and the party's Kerala unit, the sources said.

"A large section of leaders from Bengal are in favour of sending two drafts to the party congress for further discussion as they think it is the biggest platform to take a call on it.
"However, the Kerala lobby feels that only one draft should go, as sending two drafts to the party congress would send out a message that CPI(M) is divided," said a senior CPI(M) leader.
If the central committee fails to reach a consensus on the matter, it is most likely that a voting will take place, the leader said.
Yechury and the Bengal unit of CPI(M), which is in favour of aligning with the Congress, received a shot in the arm yesterday when veteran CPI(M) leader V S Achuthanandan in an email to the party leadership advocated for "forming a greater unity of the Left, secular and democratic forces including Congress".

A senior CPI(M) leader said despite internal differences, everybody in the party agreed that the BJP-RSS is the "biggest threat the country is facing presently".
The political tactical line adopted by the CPI(M) in the last party congress was against any adjustment with the Congress or the BJP.