New Delhi, Sept 29: CPI(M) today began deliberations on its ideological approach in the changed times following serious electoral debacle in its strongholds as senior West Bengal leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee skipped the crucial meeting of the party's highest body.
A fresh political-ideological document would be drafted for adoption at the 20th Party Congress scheduled next year. This would be a repeat of the exercise which it undertook 19 years ago at the 14th Congress after the collapse of USSR.
Senior Polit Bureau members responded in a terse manner when asked about absence of Bhattacharjee, who is said to be cut up with the central leadership over the political line adopted, from the crucial deliberations.
While Bengal CPI(M) Secretary Biman Bose said he was not the spokesperson of the former Chief Minister, another Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said it was for Bhattacharjee to answer the query.
When asked whether they would call him ‘absentee PB member', Yechury said Bhattacharjee was not running away from responsibilities and “even today, he is attending a meeting” in West Bengal.
He said the Polit Bureau is undertaking the exercise of preparing a draft ideological approach so as to keep pace with the changing times. The CPI(M) had adopted a new ideological approach in 1992 Party Congress after the collapse of USSR.
“In the past 20 years, the world has changed a lot. We have gone through globalisation and liberalisation,” Yechury told reporters here on the first day of the meeting.
The party is also reviewing the political situation in the wake of a series of corruption scams and rising inflation as the top brass would plan the future course of action to rope in non-BJP Opposition parties. PTI
