The CPI(M) 22nd congress starting on Wednesday would be one of the most crucial in its history with deep implications on the 2019 general elections as they would ratify on not aligning with the Congress or amend their tactical line and have an understanding with the Congress to defeat the BJP.
The meeting is the most anticipated political event in recent past with the issue of alliance with the Congress somehow putting to shade their imperative need to devise ways and means on how to find relevance with the party beginning to fade in the country’s political landscape.
Their central committee accepted the line proposed by the former general secretary Mr Prakash Karat that there would not be any understanding with the Congress.
His ideological rival and general secretary Mr Sitaram Yechury has been doggedly saying that the party tactical line with be finally decided at this Congress, implying that amendments would be moved to the draft political resolution forcing a change to the proposed tactical line.
Party sources told The Statesman that a large number of 750 delegates are backing the Karat line. They admitted that Mr Yechury and his aides had worked overtime since the central committee meeting in January with the argument that that line would be detrimental to the CPI(M) as they would be literally handing over their base to the Congress sooner than later.
They, however, refused to speculate on what would transpire at the event. “Our party congress is the highest decision making body. Whatever it decides will become the CPI(M)’s final strategy and it would be binding on everyone”, said Mr Yechury.
The party congress would also have to deal with the election of a new general secretary. Though Mr Yechury, who completes his first 3 -year term this year, is eligible for two more terms, the question is if his line is totally out of order with what the party’s rank and file.