#013 CPM lacks inner party democracy

Here is this example to show that CPM lacks inner-party democracy.

The Polit Bureau of the CPIM (Communist Party of India, Marxist) decided to support the candidature of the India's Finance Minister Mr. PraNab Mukherjee, for the post of the President of India.

CPI(M) has a strong presence in the State of Bengal. It ruled Bengal for nearly 40 years with an iron fist. It might have wanted to use the 'bengali' card to recapture its lost base in Bengal.

However, before taking the decision, whom did the Polit Bureau consult?

There is no transparency.

If there were, an inner party democracy in CPM, it should have consulted the electorate i.e. the Members of Legislative Assembly (M.L.As), the Members of Parliament (M.Ps) of the party who have to exercise their franchise in a secret ballot.

A month is still to go for the polling day of the President's election.

CPM could have organised a mock ballot among the party MLAs and MPs to elicit their choice. It could have invited nominations from its own members, to find out if anybody was willing to contest as a candidate. It could have tested their popularity by the votes polled in the mock ballot. Nothing of the sort was done.

The Polit Bureau silently decided to support a candidate of a bourgeois party. The candidate was Union Finance Minister for a long time. His Management of the Finance Portfolio of the country was throughout the period was never at least neutral to the Marxist philosophy.

CPM is supporting somebody, whom they should have opposed tooth and nail.

No wonder, Mr. Prasenjit, who was the convenor of the Party's Research Unit in Bengal opposed it and submitted his recognition.

CPM should have re-examined its decision, in the light of the dissent of Mr. Prasenjit.

Instead, it simply expelled him from the party.

What is the use of expelling a person from the party, who has submitted his resignation? The party should have at least done some 'Audi alterim Partem'. It should have at least given him an opportunity to present his views.

CPM will be left with a zero membership, if it goes on expelling people who express their dissent. Expulsions should take place only when a person acts in a manner deterimental to the basic philosophy of the party i.e. Marxism or Communism of the model propounded by Karl Marx or Lenin. What did Mr. Prasenjit do which goes against Communism or Marxism or the Working Class?

Quoting Article VIII(2) of CPM's Constitution really serves no such purpose.