Having joined forces with Congress in successive elections, CPI-M leadership is in a dilemma whether to part company.
The issue which was being talked among the party’s rank and file has now come up in CPI-M’s politburo meeting held at the national Capital recently, sources in the party said.
As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are inching closer, the party leadership was seen to hold divergent views as whether to join a Third Front sans Congress or to maintain a status quo. The issue as talks focussed on clearing the decks for the parliamentary polls.
The leaders from West Bengal see no need to dispense with an alliance Congress /though recent bypolls have ruffled the feathers of both outfits. Things came to such a pass that Congress and CPI-M nominees contested against each other at Samsergunj in Murshidabad.
But oil has been poured on troubled waters since then. But even if the party leadership from the state seeks to stand by Congress, the Kerala leaders have other ideas., party sources stated. The divergence of opinion appears to ended in a tie. The matter has been left to be settled at the party Congress scheduled to be held next year.
A similar situation had arisen before 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The election results which was disastrous for the party have strengthened the case of the Kerala leaders. However, the elections not being round the corner , the CPI-M leadership is loath to take a decision in a hurry. The leaders from West Bengal feel that a tie-up with Congress will beneficial for it in the long run.