CPI(M) party congress begins with call to unity of secular forces against BJP

According to the left party, 811 delegates are participating in the conference, including 17 polit bureau members, 78 central committee members, 640 delegates and 77 observers.The flagpole for the 23rd Party Congress was brought from Kayyur, while the flag was brought from Punnapra-Vayalar accompanied by thousands of party workers and was hoisted by Vijayan on Tuesday evening.

The 23rd CPI(M) party congress kick-started here on Wednesday with the party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury calling for all secular democratic forces to come together to fight against the BJP.

Inaugurating the conference, Yechury also stressed on the importance of Left parties working together to meet the current challenges faced by the working class.

''In the present context, the working together of the Left parties to strengthen Left unity is of vital importance to meet the current challenges being faced by the working people, the secular democratic republic of India and its Constitutional order,'' Yechury said.

''The CPI(M) appeals to all Left, secular democratic forces to come together in order to isolate and defeat the BJP,'' he said, adding that all political parties that proclaim secularism must rise to the occasion to discharge this patriotic duty.

He also urged the Congress and other regional parties to ''set their houses in order'' and decide on where they stand to safeguard the secular, democratic character of the Indian republic.

''Prevarications and compromising attitudes can only lead, as experience has shown, to an exodus from such parties towards the communal forces. Hindutva communalism can only be combated by championing uncompromising secularism,'' the senior left leader said.

Welcoming the delegates and other party leaders, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said bewildered by the popular support of the Left government seen in the 2021 Assembly elections, the opponents, including sangh parivar are resorting to 'mindless violence'.

''The BJP, which ran a high voltage campaign in the State, could not win a single seat and it lost its lone sitting seat in the last Assembly election. The vote share of the BJP came down from 15.01 per cent in 2016 to 12.47 per cent in 2021,'' Vijayan claimed.

CPI general secretary D Raja, in his address, projected the Left as the only viable alternative to the RSS. According to the left party, 811 delegates are participating in the conference, including 17 polit bureau members, 78 central committee members, 640 delegates and 77 observers.

The flagpole for the 23rd Party Congress was brought from Kayyur, while the flag was brought from Punnapra-Vayalar accompanied by thousands of party workers and was hoisted by Vijayan on Tuesday evening. The Party Congress will end on April 10.