People's Democracy

AFTER THE ELECTION VICTORY

CPI(M)'s Attitude To Formation Of The Government

Prakash Karat

DECISIVE VICTORY

THE elections to the 14th Lok Sabha have resulted in a decisive rejection of the BJP and its alliance. The BJP after six years has been ousted from the Central government. This was the primary aim of the Left, democratic and secular forces and the people have responded to the call to defeat the BJP and its allies.

The CPI(M) had set out three goals in these elections while working out its election tactics. They are: defeat of the BJP alliance, formation of a secular government at the centre and increasing the strength of the CPI(M) and the Left. It is gratifying that all the three aims have been fulfilled. The BJP and its allies won only 189 seats compared to 296 in the 1999 elections. Its vote share has gone down by nearly 5 percentage points in these elections. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won a mere 10 seats out of the 80. Even in Gujarat, the BJP could win only 14 seats out of the total of 26 compared to 21 in 1999. Some of the major allies of the BJP have suffered crushing defeats such as the TDP in Andhra Pradesh and the AIADMK in Tamilnadu.

The CPI(M) has won 44 seats (including one supported independent) and the Left as a whole has won 61 seats. This is the best performance of the Left in parliamentary elections and the CPI(M) highest tally since it began contesting as a party in 1967. The increased strength of the Left bloc will heighten Left intervention in national politics and aid the advance of the Left and democratic forces.

The non-NDA parties have won the overwhelming number of seats in the Lok Sabha. They number not less than 340 in the new house. This made the formation of a secular government smooth. All the parties who contributed to the defeat of the BJP -- the Congress, the Left parties, DMK and its allies, RJD,  NCP , SP, RLD and the BSP -- came out in support for the formation of a secular government.

CONGRESS-LED GOVT ONLY POSSIBILITY

The Congress won in 145 seats and alongwith its allies got 219 seats. The fact that the Left got 61 seats has ensured that there will be a secular government at the centre. The strength of the Left is a guarantee that there can be no obstacle to the formation of such a government since alongwith the Congress and its allies; there is a clear majority.

It is in such a post-election situation, that the Party was called upon to define its attitude to the new government.  The Central Committee of the Party met on 16-17 May to decide this matter.  The Central Committee after a thorough discussion decided to extend support to the Congress-led government without joining it. It further decided that the proposals for the Common Minimum Programme must be examined and appropriate decisions taken thereafter by the Polit Bureau.

SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENT

The decision needs to be explained in the light of the Party’s political-tactical line and the electoral tactics that was worked out on that basis. The defeat of the BJP alliance was the main task in these elections. It was essential that the BJP be prevented from getting another stint in office which would have been used to further its aim of desecularising the State and its institutions and advance the RSS goal to subvert the secular-democratic foundations of the republic. The formation of an alternative secular government is meant to halt this process and reverse it. 

In the present situation, only a Congress-led government was possible as an alternative secular government since it had the strength of 219 along with its allies. The question was how to ensure a stable government headed by the Congress and the role the CPI(M) and the Left should play vis-à-vis this government. 

For the elections, the Party had decided that our main political campaign should be to highlight the danger posed by the BJP-RSS combine with its communal agenda; to mobilise the people against the harmful economic policies which have played havoc with the life of the ordinary people and the BJP's pro-imperialist policies which are harmful to the national interests.   In conducting the campaign, the opportunist nature of the NDA alliance should also be highlighted. 

This campaign was conducted by setting out the alternative policies that the CPI(M) and the Left represents.  This meant an independent Left projection alongwith the united campaigns that would be conducted with the parties with which we have an understanding. 

The Central Committee had ruled out having an alliance with the Congress in these elections.  This was because of the Congress party's economic policies which are dictated by its class interests.  The Congress-run state governments were basically following the same policies as that of the Vajpayee government.  Further, in the states where the Left is strong, the Congress was allied with other opportunist elements with the sole intent of isolating and defeating the CPI(M) and the Left.

It is in this context that the Central Committee meeting held in January 2004 at Hyderabad worked out the concrete tactics for the elections. The report adopted in the meeting stated: "We have to rally the secular and democratic parties in the different states, so that the widest forces can be mobilised to defeat the BJP and its allies.  While doing so, we cannot have any alliance or joint platform with the Congress.   We must expose the harmful economic policies of the Congress.  We should mobilise the people on our political platform so that we are able to increase the influence and strength of the Left.

"Like in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, there is no possibility of having an all India alliance for the elections.  We have to see the situation in each state and the political forces operating there and work out our election tactics, which should help to target the BJP and its allies and forge an understanding with the non-Congress secular parties.  We should see that the division of the anti-BJP votes is minimised to the best extent possible."

It is the working out of specific tactics in each state, taking into account the correlation of forces, which helped to minimise the division of the anti-BJP votes and forge a wider alliance, wherever possible.  In states like Tamilnadu and Bihar, the forging of such a wider unity helped to defeat the BJP alliance decisively.  In Andhra Pradesh, the steps taken to avoid the division of votes amongst the anti-TDP/BJP parties succeeded in defeating the TDP-BJP alliance not only in the Lok Sabha but also in the Assembly elections.

While the central thrust of our campaign based on the political line was to defeat the BJP and its allies, we also maintained a line of demarcation and opposition to Congress policies not only in the  states of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura but also in other states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam etc where the state government's policies have had an adverse impact on the people.

NO ALLIANCE WITH CONGRESS

The reason why the CPI(M) did not  contemplate an alliance, or, front with the Congress is because of its class character.   Being a representative of the big bourgeoisie and the landlords, the Congress has not been able to break away from the policies of liberalisation and privatisation. In fact, its practice shows that it is ardently pursuing such policies wherever it is in government.  In fact, the people of Kerala and Karnataka have punished them severely for such policies. 

The CPI(M) joining the government would have meant that the Party becomes part of a Congress-led alliance which would form the government.  That alliance have now been named the United Progressive Alliance. Joining such a government  would have done violence to the Party's political line as formulated in the 17th Congress. It would have blurred the identity of the Party as an independent force representing the interests of the working class and other sections of the working people.   Becoming part of a Congress-led coalition government would be tantamount to accepting the status of a junior partner to the Congress. 

The nature of the Congress and the coalition should also be kept in mind.  All the secular parties comprising the coalition subscribe to the basic economic policies of liberalisation.  Being part of such a coalition would definitely involve compromises on economic policies in the name of functioning a stable government. 

ARGUMENTS FOR JOINING

Two major arguments were put forward by well wishers of the Party and the Left in favour of joining the government -- first, that stability could be achieved only if the Left joined the government; second, there would be credibility for the secular government only if the Left participated in it.  The Central Committee considered these views but did not accept them.  As far as stability is concerned, the fact that the Left as a bloc is supporting the government from outside would ensure that the government is stable. The fears  that the BJP would seek to stage a come-back by destabilising the government  can be dispelled by the fact that with the Left supporting the government such designs can be foiled. 

As for the credibility of the government, this will come if the Congress-led coalition is able to adopt and implement a set of policies which would mean a break from that of the Vajpayee government in the spheres of defence of secularism, economic policies and reversing the pro-imperialist stance.  It will be the programmatic platform of the Congress-led government which can give it credibility.  The Left cannot lend this  credibility to the Congress-led government by damaging its own credibility.  The CPI(M), as a major Left party, is conscious  of its responsibility towards sustaining a secular government and at the same time taking independent positions whenever required.  The attitude of the CPI(M) and the Left towards a Congress-led government will be on the basis of the Common Minimum Programme that it adopts. 

The CPI(M) and the Left will have to act as sentinels for safeguarding secularism, asserting that the economic interests of the people are protected and increasing influence of imperialism checked.   In order to do so, the CPI(M) will not hesitate to demarcate from the Congress-led government and speak out in defence of the people's interests  whenever required. 

INCREASED STRENGTH FROM LEFT BASTIONS

The CPI(M) has won a big victory in these Parliament elections from West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. It has got 41 out of 44 seats and the Left parties 53 out of the 61 from these three states where the people responded in a big way to the call to defeat the BJP alliance and to reject the Congress as an alternative.

The increased strength of the Left has been mainly contributed by its strong bases in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura.  The independent role of the Left is assured because of this strength, which has been built up by relentless struggle against the Congress and its anti-people policies.  The Central Committee was of the firm opinion that nothing should be done to weaken, or, detract from the big mobilisation of the people around the Left platform in these three states.  Even in the weaker states, building the Party and expanding its influence requires the independent role of the Party. 

EARLIER EXPERIENCE

Summing up the experience of the United Front  government period in 1996-98, the 16th Congress of the Party had noted that, "The United Front continued to pursue virtually the entire framework of the economic policies of liberalisation in great earnest. The process of privatisation, opening the economy for foreign capital in the core sectors, imposing greater burdens on the people through increased indirect taxes, big concessions, given to the rich through cuts in the direct taxes etc. The whole thrust of the Congress (I) economic policy was being continued and many of the pro-people policies in the CMP like providing foodgrain to people living below the poverty line at one half of the prices were being ignored." 

This was the situation with the non-Congress United Front government which was supported from outside by the Congress.  One can imagine the thrust of the policies in a Congress-led government which has now been constituted.  When there is a Congress-led government, there should be no illusion that participation by the CPI(M) can lead to a reversal of the basic thrust of economic policies.

So far, the basic position of the CPI(M) has been that it will join a government where it can play a role in determining policies and getting them implemented too.   The scope for  such a role in a Congress-led coalition government  does not exist.  It will be incorrect to interpret the increased strength of the CPI(M) and the Left as one which can counter the dominance of the ruling class policies.

INDEPENDENT ROLE OF LEFT

Given the class orientation and direction of the Congress policies, it is inevitable that popular discontent will be generated.   Even during the United Front government, such discontent led to the electoral reverses in 1998 for the non-Left United Front partners.  The CPI(M) is conscious that it must intervene to mobilise the people on their issues of livelihood and other problems and channelise the discontent in a manner which can  strengthen the Left and democratic forces.  Joining a Congress-led government and merging its identity would leave the field clear for the major opposition party -- the BJP -- to channelise the discontent.  The Party and the democratic mass organisations representing the working people would find themselves handicapped in such a situation if the Party was in government. It would be accountable for the performance and record of the government.

A common charge against the CPI(M) is that it wants "power without responsibility". This is a canard spread by bourgeois commentators and the superficial television journalism, which seeks to tar all parties with the same brush.  The CPI(M) is not in the business of sharing power, or, exercising power at the present juncture. Its responsibility is to the people and the mandate it has received to keep at bay the communal forces and to see that a secular government is installed.  Whatever happens, the Party will continue to champion the alternative policies of the Left and mobilise the people for struggles and movements to enable the Left and democratic forces to advance. 

The CPI(M) recognises that a large number of well-wishers, prominent personalities and intellectuals were for the Party to join the government. They felt this would help keep the communal forces at bay and give a new direction to the government. The Central Committee respected the views and the intentions of such requests. The Central Committee was of the view that the Party will be better placed to defend the interests of the democratic and secular forces by supporting the government from outside. The increased strength and prestige of the Left currently stems from the independent role it has played in fighting the communal forces and the policies of imperialist-globalisation. The Party assures these circles that it will not lag behind in continuing this struggle while maintaining support to the central government.

The danger of the BJP and the Hindutva forces should not be underestimated after this electoral defeat. The CPI(M) will be vigilant to strengthen the political-ideological and governmental positions to battle these forces.

FAVOURABLE SITUATION

The CPI(M) and the Left are in a favourable position today. The new government led by the Congress has also to function with the support of the Left. This is a situation, which evokes fear and concern among the ruling classes and imperialism. The greater intervening role of the Left should be utilised skillfully to advance the interests of the Left and democratic forces.  After the formulation of the Common Minimum Programme which should be the guide for the government, the CPI(M) will consistently work towards isolating the BJP and the communal forces, intervening to protect the interests of the working people and  being vigilant to see that imperialism does  not push the government  towards policies which are not in the national interests.   How the Party plays this role in the coming days will be important for the progressive forces and the Left and democratic movement in the country.