CPI-M conclave to work out plan to strengthen party

Visakhapatm, April 13: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) will chalk out a strategy to rebuild and strengthen the party besides electing a new general secretary at its 21st Congress, beginning here on Tuesday. Sitaram Yechuri, member of the party’s outgoing central committee, is tipped to take over from Prakash Karat, who has been at the helm for the past 10 years. With the CPI-M reduced to being a single-digit force in the Lok Sabha, there will be serious deliberations during the six-day conclave on how to strengthen the party by taking up people’s issues. The first Congress of the communist party since the BJP-led NDA stormed to power last year will, according to the draft political resolution, stress on building a strong Left and democratic front as this altertive alone can “save the country from the havoc being inflicted by neo-liberal capitalism and majoritarian commulism”. The party, whose strength in the Lok Sabha has been reduced from 60 in 2004 to nine in 2014, will discuss organising and mobilising different sections of the working people against “right-wing offensive” and the Modi government’s “neo-liberal drive”, it said. According to CPI-M’s Andhra Pradesh unit secretary P. Madhu, the Congress will also chalk out state-specific action plans to take on regiol parties. (IANS)