Can the Left Parties be an alternative to the Congress? This is what is now doing the rounds in Left Political circles. CPI’s central secretariat member Binoy Viswam ignited the political row between his party and the CPI(M), the largest constituent n the Left Front, with the two opposing each other on the issue.
Binoy Viswam said that the Left parties cannot be an alternative to the Congressparty. The CPI is of the opinion that Congress was an integral factor in forming an alternative against the BJP and Sangh Parivar at the national level. However, the CPM is of the view that the Congress can never be an alternative and should be kept out of the opposition alliance.
A POSITIVE THINKING
Well, now looking at the political scenario, the Congress has its presence in the national level where as the Left parties have been now narrowed to a few pockets. Except in Kerala, the Left parties have no significant presence anywhere across the country. In such scenario, Binoy Vishwam’s opinion gains significance. The statement “Left parties cannot be an alternative to the Congress party” needs greater as well as positive thinking. May be the Congress has its drawbacks, but Congress as a national party still has the political vigour to bring together everyone against the fascist forces. The Left parties cannot claim to have the national charisma to bring together all socialist thinkers into a single forum. With just in Kerala and a few pockets, they cannot garner the strength to fight it alone or bring together like minded parties into a single string. For this, the Congress is an integral factor in forming an alternative against the BJP and Sangh Parivar at the national level.
If not the Congress, who else? Though the Congress has failed in many states, it still holds slot. The regional parties have managed to match or defeat the BJP in state assembly elections. However, they do not have the capacity to take on the saffron brigade. A national force is needed for the unification of the shattered forces and the Congress is the only candidate in this.
CPI AND CONGRESS
Binoy Vishwam, who is a Rajya Sabha member, said that the Left parties could not fill the vacuum if the Congressparty was wiped out from the political scene. He said this while speaking at a memorial meeting for P T Thomas, MLA, who passed away in December 2021.
Despite having differences with the Congress, Vishwam said that he did not want to see its destruction. He noted that if Congress were weakened, the RSS and Sangh Parivar outfits would seize the space. He also mentioned about the void that would be created if Congress crumbles. Mentioning Nehru and his ideologies, Vishwam opined that the Congress should not be weakened,
CPI state Chief Kanam Rajendran also opined the same, stressing on the importance of the Congress on a wider national political platform against BJP. He also rejected CPM’s stand that the Congress should be kept out of the opposition alliance at the Centre.
Even CPI mouthpiece ‘Janayugam’ came out with an editorial that the Congress support is essential for a political alternative at the national level.
CPM AND ITS STAND
The CPM state leadership, however, rejected CPI’s stand. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the Congress was itself not able to project as an alternative to the BJP. He also noted that it was the Congress and its neo-liberal policies that paved the way for BJP to come to power at the Centre.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had in December 2021 said that Congress couldn’t be an alternative to the BJP at the Centre. He also made a clarion call for forging a national alliance of secular, like-minded regional parties across the country, excluding Congress, to fight the saffron party. He said this while inaugurating the CPM Ernakulam district conference. He alleged that the Congress has adopted a policy of communal appeasement. He also mentioned that the Congress and the BJP have the same stance on economic policies. And such a Congress cannot become an alternative to BJP, he added.
