An indication of the longevity of Manmohan Singh government will be available after the crucial CPI(M) politburo (PB) meeting in Kolkata on Friday.
NEW DELHI: An indication of the longevity of Manmohan Singh government will be available after the crucial CPI(M) politburo (PB) meeting in Kolkata on Friday even as the war of nerves within the party over the nuclear issue escalated with two more PB members backing the moderate Bengal line. But it remains to be seen who blinks first.
With general secretary Prakash Karat sticking to his hardline posture on the Indo-US nuclear deal and party veterans in West Bengal making contrary noises there is confusion whether the party will be able to take a clear stand after the PB and central committee meetings or will hold another round of discussion after the India-IAEA entente in October.
Disregarding the comments of patriarch Jyoti Basu, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and state secretary Biman Bose, Karat downplayed the differences within the party over the nuke issue saying they were created by the media.
“The West Bengal chief minister support for nuclear power does not mean he is supporting the nuclear deal with the US. There is no shift in the CPI(M)’s stand. It will not allow this government to go ahead with the nuclear deal.”
Sources said while there is no two opinion in the party against the deal, the differences are over whether the CPI(M) should pull the rug from under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's feet on the issue.
The PB and CC meetings will also have to evaluate whether “US imperialism” or “BJP communalism” is more dangerous. For Karat, both are equally dangerous.
Sources said though in the August 17 PB meeting the majority towed the Karat line, with Bengal moderates sending out signals that the former should restrain himself, three more members — Sitaram Yechury, B.V. Raghalvu and K. Varadharajan — are now backing the Bengal line, that is against toppling the UPA government in a hurry. In such a scenario, the balance could tilt against Karat.
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