Thiruvananthapuram: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) is shifting its political strategy, realigning with Prakash Karat’s approach by opting for a measured distance from Congress. Although the alliance with Congress in the last general election effectively curbed the BJP’s growth, a recent post-election analysis has led the CPM leadership to conclude that the alliance hasn’t fostered CPM’s independent growth. The assessment, which is part of a strategic review ahead of the upcoming Party Congress in April in Madurai, marks a move away from the more collaborative stance taken by late General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.
Under Yechury, CPM aimed to partner with Congress and other secular entities to check BJP’s influence—a stance confirmed at the previous Party Congress in Kannur. However, the current Politburo now seems set to follow Karat’s vision. With Karat temporarily coordinating CPM’s national activities, the party’s leadership, especially the influential Kerala faction, strongly backs this approach. The revised stance is built on CPM’s concerns over Congress’s neo-liberal economic policies and perceived leniency towards Hindutva-driven agendas, known as “soft Hindutva.”
The new line advises CPM to collaborate with the INDIA bloc primarily during elections or in matters related to countering BJP and RSS’s communalism, yet it discourages permanent alliances. The review report suggests that while the INDIA bloc has proved successful in challenging BJP’s influence, it has mainly benefited Congress and other regional parties. CPM’s leadership argues that further alignment with Congress could hinder CPM’s own expansion by compromising its distinct identity. This strategic pivot underlines the party’s intent to strengthen its national footprint independently, without sacrificing its core principles for temporary gains.
