Sitaram Yechury tried to sidestep the question several times but it hung over the news conference till the end. It was about "daggers being out in the party" for him after the rout in Bengal, where he had sanctioned an informal arrangement with the Congress against stiff opposition from powerful party lobbies in Kolkata.


"I don't understand..." the CPM general secretary began and then stopped, avoiding an answer. That led to the query being rephrased as one about "a war in the party now". Yechury wouldn't rise to the bait, though.


"You are at liberty to make your own assessments. On our part we will review the poll results collectively and draw lessons," he said, acknowledging that the Bengal results had been a "big setback".


Strong signals came from some of the party's other central leaders, however, that Yechury would be cornered over the "disaster" in Bengal after going against the party congress's line and backing the ground-level alliance with the Congress. Several of them described the Bengal arrangement as a "big mistake". Today's politburo statement left no doubt that the "electoral tactics" adopted in Bengal would be put under the scanner.
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