Bid to paper over cracks in Front

The Nandigram flare-up and its fallout on the unity of the Left Front coalition was the dominant theme emerging at the two-day meet of the CPM politburo, reports Srinand Jha.

The Nandigram flare-up and its fallout on the unity of the Left Front coalition was the dominant theme emerging at the two-day meet of the CPM politburo that began in the capital on Sunday. Chairman of the Left Front committee and secretary of the party state committee Biman Bose submitted a report on the Nandigram situation to the politburo.

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“Where are the cracks?” senior party leader and politburo member Sitaram Yechury remarked.

State minister and RSP leader Kshiti Goswami has articulated his desire to quit his post, while party colleague Manoj Bhatacharjee had said that the possibility of the RSP pullout from the ruling alliance in West Bengal on the Nandigram question could not be ruled out.

Yechury, however, asserted that there were no differences between Left Front constituents on the issue.

The agenda for talks included a host of issues including the India-US civil nuclear deal, finalising the party’s role in the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal and the winter session of Parliament. Besides, deliberations on the draft political resolution to be adopted at the 19th party congress scheduled at Coimbature from March 31 to April 4 were also discussed. However, the Nandigram issue over-shadowed the proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Congress criticised the Bengal government’s handling of the Nandigram affair, stating that it had failed to protect lives and properties there. “The primary responsibility of any government is to protect its citizens. Unfortunately, it is not happening in Nandigram,” AICC General Secretary Mohsina Kidwai said.