CPI(M) politburo meet: No consensus on pol understanding with

The CPI(M) politburo failed to reach a consensus on whether it should have a political understanding with the Congress and other secular parties to oust the BJP-led government, as it framed its draft political report.
A two-day politburo meet discussed two notes -- one presented by Secretary General Sitaram Yechury and the other by his predecessor Prakash Karat -- suggesting the political approach it should follow in the coming three years.
Since the party has not been able to reach any consensus, the draft will be placed before the Central Committee.
"The politburo discussed the draft political report for the 22nd Congress. These discussions will now be placed for the Central committee's consideration at its forthcoming meeting from January 19-21 at Kolkata," the party said in a statement.

Though the politburo could not reach any consensus, efforts will continue to be put in by politburo members available here to reach a consensus so that one note can be sent to Central Committee, a party source said.
In a note to the politburo, Yechury is understood to have said that "while there should be no electoral understanding with the Congress, the party should seek the cooperation of all non-Left parties to oust the Modi government".

In his note, Yechury has emphasised that the clause on "not having any political understanding with the Congress" be removed from the draft to pave a way for consolidation of secular forces against the RSS-BJP, a senior party leader said.

This stand is being severely opposed by the Karat faction, which has a majority in the present politburo.
Karat in his note is understood to have also emphasised that the BJP is the chief opponent in the present political situation and the CPI(M)'s priority should be to defeat the communal forces, but there should not be any political understanding with the Congress.
Karat is of the opinion that the party should take a tactical line in electoral politics and can have political understanding with regional parties even though they are in alliance with the Congress.
Yechury camp feels this approach is "extremely impractical".

Interestingly, the CPI(M) has already extended support to the DMK, a Congress ally, for the R K Nagar assembly by- election in Tamil Nadu.
The politburo finalised the schedule of state conferences. Twenty-five state committees will have their conferences in the run up to the 22nd Congress to be held at Hyderabad from April 18-22 next year.