In an article on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the party-led Left Front (LF) government in West Bengal, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat recollects the historically hostile relations between the Congress and CPM, now partners in the union government.

Talking of the pre-1977 period, Karat writes: “The Communist Party’s first government in Kerala, headed by E M S Namboodiripad, was ousted in 21 months. Article 356 of the constitution was used for the first time by the then Nehru government to dismiss an elected state government.”

Recalling that in 1967, United Front governments formed in West Bengal and Kerala with CPM as the largest party were not allowed to remain in office for long, he says: “The Left parties fought back this conspiracy and central intervention.”

In 1969, once again the United Front was re-elected with a big majority. This government also fell after 13 months, in 1970. In Kerala, the United Front government lasted 31 months and fell apart in 1969.

He says: “ The Congress governments at the centre were hostile to the existence of communist-led State Governments.”

The minority angle

That Muslim support to the CPM is declining has been among the findings of West Bengal election analysis — something that the party is willing to accept only in an oblique fashion.

In a 14-point table of “feature of election results,” the party organ says: “The vast majority of the minority communities have votes for the LF,”

and “the middle class and the intellectuals have remained by the side of the LF.”

... contd.