CPM may pull plug, even vote against govt

KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: Being closely watched for its next step on the road to bring down the UPA government, CPM's highest decision-making body on Friday moved to signal that it regarded imperialism (read relations with the US) and communalism (read keeping BJP at bay) as equal evils.

Although party leaders were tight-lipped about what happened behind closed doors in the politburo, it appeared that the leaders who were pressing for a dilution of CPM general-secretary Prakash Karat's stance against the Indo-US nuclear deal had lost out and the West Bengal unit of the party would eventually end up toeing the Karat hardline.

Before leaving for Kolkata, a senior CPM leader said in New Delhi: "We may vote against the UPA government." The remark assumes significance in the light of a recent secret meeting between CPM and TDP leaders in New Delhi.

CPM's Bengal unit led by party patriarch Jyoti Basu had been arguing that though communalism and imperialism were twin dangers that the country faced, communalism was a bigger threat as BJP could stage a comeback if there was a mid-term election. Most Bengal communists, including chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, had openly spoken about being comfortable with closer business ties with Washington and the need for atomic power and preferred going slow on Karat's ultimatum to bring down the UPA government on the nuclear deal.

The "equal evil" formulation, however, suggest that the imperative to fight BJP can no longer be the justification for supporting a government which was in a strategic embrace with the 'imperial' US.

As a logical corollary, those pushing for the new line would ask for a policy of equidistance from Congress and BJP, clearing the stage for reshaping of ties if government went ahead with its plan to hold negotiations with IAEA for safeguards — the first of the three remaining steps for the operationalisation of the deal.

The one-day politburo meeting was ostensibly called to discuss the agenda for the two-day larger party forum — the central committee — which usually does not disregard any PB direction. The CC meet starts Saturday.

Basu spoke at the politburo meeting, but refused to talk to the press. Politburo member M K Pandhe said the CC would avoid a split verdict on the issues, including nuclear deal, facing it. "We will take a unanimous decision," he said. "We are discussing the present political situation. Yes, we discussed the nuclear deal also."

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com