Will Yechury get third term in Parliament?

The Marxist veteran, Sitaram Yechury, though the Opposition favourite, seems to be facing many an impediment to enter the Rajya Sabha for the third term. The CPI (M) All India General Secretary has been representing West Bengal in the House of Elders for the last two terms. His six-year term ends in August this year.

The Opposition parties, including Congress and Janata Dal (U), want him in parliament to effectively face the Modi juggernaut. The shrinking strength of the CPI (M), especially in its traditional stronghold like West Bengal, is the first stumbling block. Meanwhile, the party principles like no one should be given the third term in parliamentary politics and the General Secretary should not be in parliament seem to be working against the chances of this articulating comrade retaining his Parliament membership.

The CPI (M) has not given the third term to party veterans like S Ramachandran Pillai, who was also in the race for party General Secretary, and E Balanandan, though Kerala unit had enough strength in that state legislature to re-nominate him at that time. The CPI (M) has a tradition of not sending party secretaries to parliament or legislature as they would be totally engrossed in the organisational work.

The then State Secretary of the CPI (M) in the united Andhra Pradesh, Koratala Satyanarayana, was picked up by the state party secretariat for the Rajya Sabha seat in 1996. But, the central committee of the party reportedly did not endorse the party state secretariat decision on the similar ground.

Then, the party chose Dr Y Radhakrishnamurthy for the Rajya Sabha seat. Sitaram Yechury was elected as the party general secretary in the middle of his second term in parliament in 2015. The CPI(M) strength has plummeted to the lowest ever tally in West Bengal state legislature, making it difficult to send even one member from six seats that fall vacant in August. But, the party can ensure Yechury’s re-election with the support of Congress.

The Congress party is reportedly keen on Yechury’s presence in the Upper House which would help in galvanising the anti-BJP forces in a House where the ruling BJP has no majority. But, the CPI (M) central committee strongly objected to the West Bengal state party line of aligning with the Congress in the last Assembly elections in West Bengal. The party which is in power in Kerala is primarily pitted against the Congress-led UDF only.

Even the CPI (M) congress in which Yechury was elected General Secretary has also adopted a tactical line opposing any tie-up with non-Left parties. All these aspects also work against Yechury entering parliament for the third term. There is also another parallel. The party had an opportunity to send one member to Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh in 2005, when it had an electoral understanding with the Congress that came to power in 2004.

The CPI (M) was supporting the Congress-led UPA-1 regime at the Centre and its survival was essentially based on the Left support. Sitaram Yechury’s name also figured at that time in the Andhra Pradesh state party to field him as the candidate for the Rajya Sabha with the support of the Congress. But, the party ultimately went against the proposal as it did not intend to give an impression that such a senior leader of the party is taking shelter under Congress wings. Thus, the West Bengal state party sent him to the Rajya Sabha.

In fact, the CPI (M) would have an opportunity to send one or two members to Rajya Sabha from Kerala in 2018. But, the former General Secretary of the party, Prakash Karat, would be a strong probable for the Rajya Sabha seat as he never was in parliamentary politics and Kerala is his home state, though his political career is from Delhi. Prakash Karat is now the editor of party organ People’s Democracy, the responsibility which Yechury held till his election as General Secretary.

In all likelihood, there will be a strong voice to field Prakash Karat to succeed Yechury in Rajya Sabha. But, Yechury’s greater acceptance by the entire Opposition is his added advantage. Yechury is conversant with parliamentary politics and his immense ability in building political coalitions may work in his favour. However, the party has to take a call.