The CPI(M) has refused to nominate anyone for the Coordination Committee of INDIA, while promising its complete support for the alliance’s “consolidation and expansion” stating that such organisational structures will be an “impediment” for the bloc.
After the Mumbai Meet on August 31 and September 1, the INDIA bloc announced the formation of a 14-member coordination panel. It also announced working groups for campaign, media and social media.
The decision was taken following the Polit Bureau meeting of the party on September 16 and 17 in New Delhi. In further ominous signs for INDIA, the Trinamool Congress too has not nominated representatives for the three sub working groups formed by the INDIA bloc to manage campaign, media and social-media.
In a statement released on Sunday, the party said that it has “decided to work for the further consolidation and expansion of INDIA bloc to strengthen efforts to safeguard the secular democratic character of the Indian republic, the Constitution, Democracy and People’s fundamental rights and civil liberties.”
The party endorsed CPI(M)‘s position at the three meetings- Patna, Bangalore and Mumbai, to organise a series of public meetings across the country to mobilise people to “ensure the defeat of the BJP in the forthcoming elections”.
Rejects formal structures
Efforts, it said, should be focused to further expand the INDIA bloc and also to draw in significant sections of the people’s movements. At the same time it cautioned, “While all decisions will be taken by the leaders of the constituents there should be no organisational structures that will be an impediment to such decisions”.
The CPI(M)‘s decision, according to a party leader has been vindicated by the cancellation of the Bhopal rally. “The coordination committee announced that the first rally will be held in Bhopal in the first week of October. But what happened? Clearly, such secretariats are not the way to take the alliance forward,” he said.
Other than the Trinamool Congress no other member party of the INDIA bloc has commented. Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said, “I am not aware about the CPI (M)‘s political situation. In this political fight against the BJP, we have urged every other opposition party to be a part of the committee. The CPI(M) or any other political party’s decision not to join the coordination panel is ultimately their call,” he said.
Though Mr. Banerjee is part of the coordination panel, the party is yet to nominate members for the working groups of campaign, media and social media. “How can one start campaigning when the product itself is not ready. The INDIA bloc concretises only when the seat sharing is done. We are part of the coordination panel because it is also to work out seat sharing, but we are in no hurry to send our representatives to the other three working groups,” a senior Trinamool leader said.
