Surya Kanta Mishra bats for alliance, faces opposition within

Notwithstanding the defeat that Left Front-Congress alliance faced in the West Bengal Assembly polls, CPI(M) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra batted for carrying forward the alliance during a party meet today, even as he faced opposition from a section of party leadership.
The CPI(M) organised a two-day state committee meet to discuss reasons behind the poll debacle and the issue of forging an alliance with Congress in the state, violating the official party line.
According to state committee members, Mishra during his speech said the condition of CPI(M) and Left Front would have been "much worse" had there been no alliance with Congress.

"Surya Kanta Mishra said that had the CPI(M) not gone in favour of the alliance in the state, we would have won lesser number of seats than the present tally," a senior state committee member said.
"He also said there is a need to carry forward the alliance in the state in order to resist the undemocratic attack on opposition parties of Bengal," the member said.
Out of the 85 state committee members, around 29 placed their views in today's meeting. Out of these 29, around eight opposed the decision of forging alliance with Congress by violating the official party line.

Those who opposed the alliance referred to the party line adopted in the last Party Congress and also the Politburo statement after the poll debacle which said the electoral tactics pursued by the CPI(M) in West Bengal was not in consonance with the Central Committee decision that there shall be no alliance or understanding with Congress.
The state committee members said the difference between the party's strategy in the state and the official party line is creating confusion and sending a wrong message to the people.