As much could be inferred from the fact that he had committed himself to supporting a Congress government even before the full results of the Lok Sabha election had come out. It is the same sentiment that the two leaders have expressed from the exalted Congress podium. Whether or not the party's rigid discipline prevents those opposed to this line from speaking out, there is no denying that a large section of party members will find their pro-Congress line difficult to swallow.

This is primarily because in both West Bengal and Kerala, the challengeto the CPM supremacy comes from the Congress. In fact CPM cadres would question the very rationale of their party's existence if it were to support the Congress. Nor can the two parties be oblivious to the danger of the opposition space in these two states going solely to a party like the BJP if they join hands. A slight accretion in its ranks is all that the BJP needs to register its presence in the legislatures of these two states.

If in spite of such long-term implications the CPM adopts a pro-Congress political line, it only shows the extent to which the party can go in its pursuit of realpolitik. It is worth noting that the Congress has not so far shown any enthusiasm to grasp the CPM's hand. Although the party has been saying that it will not shirk its responsibility to provide an alternative government if the BJP government falls on its own, it is clear that the Congress is not keen on forming a government.

This is not because Congress chief Sonia Gandhi abhors power but because she knows that anygovernment formed with the support of parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Samajwadi Party will be as unstable as the BJP government. She would rather face an election than take support from a party like the CPM. In any case, she will make up her mind only after the elections in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Mizoram are over. All this militates against a sudden coming together of the CPM and the Congress. It is no surprise that a section of the West Bengal Congress has already warned the party leadership against seeking help from the CPM.

Under these circumstances, a far more honourable option for the CPM would be to rededicate itself to strengthening the third force of which it is a natural ally. It is true that the Third Front is in a state of disarray due to the disintegration of the Janata Dal and the ditching of the Front by the Telugu Desam. Nonetheless, there is a large body of public opinion which favours the emergence of such a Front to provide a stiff fight to both the Congress andthe BJP. Bringing together parties like the Janata Dal and the RJD is a Herculean task. But it has fewer risks than supping with the Congress.