CPM needs to reorient its struggle to take on BJP: Prakash Karat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI(M) politburo member Prakash Karat on Sunday said the party's political struggle has to be reoriented to take on BJP's 'communal agenda' and the Modi government's 'neo liberal' economic policies.

"Political, ideological struggle and our organisational work needs to be reoriented to fight the neo-liberal policies of the Modi government and to fight the communal agenda of BJP and RSS', he said, addressing a function at EMS academy here.

Karat said BJP has become the dominant party of the ruling class, replacing Congress at the national level, adding that CPI(M) has to reorient itself to fight the saffron party.

On the party's defeat in Tripura, Karat said though the CPI(M) got 45 per cent of the votes, there was an erosion of its support in some sectors.

"We were in power for 25 years.... we have to examine how our government functioned, as also of its feeder organisations", he said.

Karat said shifting of Congress votes en masse towards BJP helped the saffron party have a mass base.

Besides this, it's alliance with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) resulted in all anti-left votes consolidating behind BJP, he said.

Karat expressed confidence that party would overcome the 'difficult situation' it now faced in Tripura