Press Release
The CPI(M) 22nd Congress adopted the main Political Resolution this evening after approving an amendment (attached) moved by the Steering Committee, with an overwhelming endorsement from the delegates.
Sitaram Yechury, Party General Secretary in his intervention gave a call for the unity of the Party. He said “we are proud of the CPI(M). It is the only party in India today which can undertake such a democratic exercise to decide its future direction. We are all agreed that our main fight is against the BJP/RSS and to defeat this Government. After this Congress we go back in a unified manner take this fight throughout the country to mobilize the vast mass of our people on the guidance of the political resolution. I appeal to all of you to strengthen the Party, our unity and our fight to defeat this Government”.
Prakash Karat in his summing up of the discussion on the political resolution said "it is unprecedented that two views have been put before the Congress. The Central Committee decided that since this is a political issue it should be decided in the highest body of the Party, the Party Congress. That is why Com Sitaram Yechury placed the CC minority point of view.
“It is not a question of some words ‘understanding and alliance’ as some delegates have stated. It is the approach of how best to fight the BJP RSS and ensure their defeat. A large number of comrades asked the leadership to resolve the issue so as to go back from this Congress with the message of unity."
We have tried to keep this spirit of the comrades in mind. As far as the political line is concerned, any political alliance with the Congress is ruled out. Such an alliance with the major party of the Indian ruling classes will weaken our struggle against building the unity of the people for a policy alternative to the ruling classes. It is on the basis of this line that future electoral tactics will be decided.
As far as the word understanding is concerned we have defined the scope of that understanding with the Congress party. Within Parliament we have understanding with Secular opposition parties including the Congress on agreed issues. We take forward the Vishakapatnam Party Congress resolution that we need a broad mobilization of all democratic and secular forces against communalism.
He called upon the Party to (1) wage the struggle to defeat the authoritarian communal regime of the BJP (2) to build a strong CPI(M) to advance the struggle for democracy, secularism and socialism (3) to forge a strong Left and democratic Front to create a Left and democratic alternative.
A total of 47 delegates had spoken on the resolution. During the deliberations delegates moved around 373 amendments. Of these, 37 amendments were accepted.
(Hari Singh Kang)
For CPI(M) Central Committee office
Amendments Moved by the Steering Committee
1. Delete Para 2.90
2. Political Line
Para 2.115 (ii) delete second sentence
“However, this has to be done without having an understanding or electoral alliance with the Congress Party”
New clause (iii) to be added:
“But this has to be done without having a political alliance with the Congress Party”
New clause (iv) to be added:
“However, there can be an understanding with all secular opposition parties including the Congress in parliament on agreed issues. Outside parliament, we should cooperate with all secular opposition forces for a broad mobilization of people against communalism. We should foster joint actions of class and mass organisations, in such a manner that can draw in the masses following the Congress and other bourgeois parties.”