CPM poll plan threatens Opp.

as a battle of personalities and a turf war with drafts circulated by both at the Central Committee meeting having very little difference and agreeing in principle that the party’s main objective is to defeat the BJP. In January, the Central Committee approved a “no alliance, no understanding with the Congress” line advocated by Mr Karat, rejecting a slightly different formulation put forward by Mr Yechury by a 55- 31 vote.

The final draft exhibits interesting coinage of phrases as far as the BJP was concerned.

Without branding the BJP as a fascist party, the draft identified the RSS as a fascist force which was guiding it: “The BJP is no ordinary bourgeois party as the fascistic RSS guides and dominates it. When the BJP is in power, the RSS gets access to the instruments of state power and the state machinery”.

There has been a divergence of views between Mr Yechury and Mr Karat on whether the Narendra Modi government is exhibiting “authoritarian” tendencies or a “movement towards fascism”.

Supporters of Mr Yechury had argued that if the BJP is branded fascist then its “communal and fascist agenda” will have to be countered through broad- based alliances.

The draft will next be taken up at the party congress in Hyderabad in April. Sources said that amendments can be moved to the existing document by individuals as well as state units.