Kozhikode, Apr 5: The electoral debacle that the party suffered in the last parliamentary and assembly polls will come under sharp focus at the 20th Congress of the CPI-M as delegates today began discussions on the draft political resolution presented by party General Secretary Prakash Karat.
The defeat of the Left Front in West Bengal for the first time since 1977, after being in power for 34 years, is “a serious setback” for the entire Left and democratic movement in the country, which the party is now striving to forge as an alternative force at the national level, the draft says.
The party does not see the “narrow” electoral victory of Congress-led UDF in Kerala by a one per cent margin and three seats, as a rejection of the previous LDF government and its policies.
However, the party wants to explore the reasons for the failure in both states and work towards winning back the support of the people.
Building of a Left-democratic alternative against ruling Congress-led UPA and opposition NDA led by BJP, both “wedded to neo-liberal economic reforms”, has been described in the draft as the main task of the CPI-M.
For this, the party has to expand its base across the country and regain people's support where the party scored poorly in polls, the draft says, adding, only a strong CPI(M) could strengthen Left unity and thereby draw democratic forces to its fold in order to defend secularism and federalism.
The organisational report prepared by the central leadership, to be presented tomorrow at the Congress, cites “deviations” on the part of CPI-M's cadres who were allured to corruption and other vices as one of the reasons for the party's alienation from the people.
Organisational weaknesses such as misuse of party positions, factionalism and breach of party principles also contributed to the narrow defeat it suffered in Kerala, the organisational report says.
In West Bengal and Kerala, the party leaderships could not carry forward the “rectification campaign” launched years back.
While the “arrogance” of a section of leaders cost the party dear in West Bengal, factionalism and consolidation of communalist and casteist outfits in favour of Congress-led UDF contributed to the narrow defeat in Kerala, the self-criticising report says.
The adverse impact of the implementation of neo-liberal economic reforms in India in the last two decades is another key issue being discussed at the meet.
On the Maoist issue, the draft says the extremist outfit was acting as an instrument of anti-Left forces under the cover of revolutionary rhetoric. Maoists had killed more cadres of the CPI-M than any other political party in the entire country.
Describing Maoists as a “degenerated form of ultra-left adventurism,” CPI(M) says the outfit had tied up with various parties during elections including West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Odisha.
CPI-M maintains its consistent position that it was not for the division of linguistically re-organised state of Andhra Pradesh, despite its ally CPI declaring support for a separate Telangana state.”
The party's stand is that break-up of states which were reorganised on linguistic lines after a prolonged movement is not warranted,” the draft says.
