Karat non-committal on VS re-induction into PB

KOZHIKODE: CPM  General Secretary  Prakash Karat on Thursday was non-committal on the question whether veteran party leader V S  Achuthanandan would be re-inducted into  the CPM  politburo. While briefing the media on the discussions on the political resolution presented in the party congress he asked the media persons to be patient for a couple of days more.  He also did not reveal his mind on the reports that former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee would be removed from the politburo and central committee.  Many a journalists raised the same question on the fate of Buddhadeb. However, Karat said Buddhadeb was a most valued comrade and there was no scope for triggering a  controversy over his absence in the party congress. “Comrade Biman Basu has brought a letter from Buddhadeb asking him to be excused for leave of absence in the party congress as he was ailing. Besides, I have talked to him over telephone,” he said. Karat said though  Buddhadeb was absent he was keenly watching the party congress from Kolkata.No Discussionon Third Front Karat said the party congress had not held any discussions on constituting a third front.  Our aim is to  help evolve a viable third alternative as an alliance of left and democratic forces. It will be based on a common programme for taking up various issues concerning  the people. But a third front is an alliance  being formulated for electoral purpose.  On the issue of land, Karat said the land acquisition going on in the country had been facing stiff resistance from the peasants. He said it was mere apprehension about land acquisition at Nandigram triggered the agitation. No land had been acquired there. But the Politburo had discussed the Singur issue  and had the firm  belief that the compensation offered was fair. But later on opposition to the land acquisition picked up. The Singur project could have  given a necessary fillip to the industrialisation of the state. Only 20 percent farmers were opposing the project. But party came to the conclusion that even if the opposition was from 20 percent of the land owners it should be considered.Asked whether he was facing pressure for withdrawing support to the UPA, he said the party was categorical and  clear in withdrawing  support. “In fact, we should have withdrawn support earlier. We  still had regret in the failure to stop the Government from entering into a nuclear deal with the United States,” he said . He said the party ‘s earlier   decision to support the UPA  was  a right decision as it wanted the BJP out of power.