CALCUTTA: An influential section of the Communist Party (Marxist) has strongly criticized Chief minister Jyoti Basus single handed support to Congress-Is presidential candidate S.D. Sharma and the controversy may not end with the election of Sharma.
The C.P.(M) dissidents point out that the party had to fight both B.J.P.s communalism and the LM.F.-dictated policies of the Narasimha Rao government and opposition to the Congress(I) candidate at this stage was supremely symbolic.
IT may be recalled that CP.(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet had left for the western countries soon after a secret decision of the party’s politburo was taken and conveyed to the prime minister about a month ago.
Basu who apparently pre upon the top leadership to back Sharma, in an article defended the move, by arguing that the B.J.P. would have been left with enough room form is chief had the national front-left grouping set up its own candidate.
Basu, it may be recalled, had earlier been a supporter of Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister, where the alterative he had observed. On supporting Narasimha Rao also, Basu some time ago had said: There is no alternative at the moment.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 24, 1992
