CPI is now Confused Party of India', says Kanhaiya Kumar

Kollam: “The CPI has become the ‘Confused Party of India,” according to Kanhaiya Kumar, AISF national council member and former president of the JNU students’ union.

Addressing the 23rd party congress here on Saturday,  he attacked the leadership for remaining fixated on ties with the Congress rather than building up the organisation.

“Instead of focusing on backing the Congress party, the CPI should strengthen itself for a situation where the Congress would seek  the support of the CPI,” he said.

His opinion is apparently a deviation from his earlier stance to support the Congress to curb the advance  of BJP. He had also expressed his willingness to contest the  elections in Bihar if he was jointly nominated by the Left, Congress and the RJD parties.

At the delegates’ meeting,  Mr Kanhaiya Kumar also praised the secular atmosphere prevalent in Kerala. “The Kerala model defence against communalism should be spread across the country to defeat the Sangh Parivar,”  said Mr Kumar,  who  was a special invitee of the CPI central leadership at the party congress.

As the discussions on the draft reports continued for the second day at the  party congress, serious criticisms were raised against the central leadership. The delegates alleged the central leadership was not prompt in taking decisions on various issues,  including the anti-people policies of  the ruling party.  It had also failed to conduct follow-up on such decisions. Some 300 amendments and suggestions popped up during  the discussions.

Three commissions were constituted for further discussions on the drafts and  party general secretary Sudhakar Reddy responded to the suggestions.

The drafts will be finalised on Sunday following which the announcement of new office-bearers will be made.  C.N. Chandran, K. Rajan  and C.A. Kurien are likely to quit the national council while K.P. Rajendran, P. Prasad and Mullakkara Ratnakaran are the probables. Binoy Viswam will be considered for the national secretariat as either  Panniyan Raveendran or K.E. Ismail will be dropped.   The council will have 12 regular members, apart from one woman and one youth leader,  from  Kerala.