Bengal unit unhappy over Sinha nomination, Yechury says CPM panels must abide by resolution

Speaking to mediapersons after attending an event to mark the 109th birth anniversary of veteran Marxist leader and former West Bengal chief minister, Jyoti Basu, Yechury said, “Every state committee will have to abide by the resolution adopted in the Party Congress. It was decided in the Party Congress that the party will support any Opposition unity or understanding to defeat the communal force in the country.”

During the 23rd Party Congress of the CPM earlier this year, its leadership resolved to “defeat the BJP by organising all secular and democratic forces” in the country.

Yechury added that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was now “answerable to Opposition parties” after her remarks that NDA presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu could have been a consensus candidate had the BJP discussed her candidature.

“She [Mamata] called a meeting of the Opposition parties [to discuss the strategy ehaed of presidential elections]. And all the parties had attended it. A decision was taken to extend our support to the Opposition candidate. Now if she says such things, she must be answerable to the Opposition parties.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 1 said Droupadi Murmu, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s nominee for the presidential polls, could have been a consensus candidate had the BJP consulted with the Opposition parties over her nomination.

The Chief Minister stressed that a consensus candidate is always better for the country but maintained that she would go by the decision of the Opposition parties.