New Delhi [India], February 18 : Communist Party of India (CPI) MP John Brittas on Wednesday said that the Congress party was compelled to shift its political positioning because the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) occupied the right-wing space, but asserted that the party continues to retain a right-wing economic ideology.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Brittas spoke on the evolving political landscape, saying, "Congress also was compelled to move to the left. I feel so. Because the right space which they created has been completely... who are served by the BJP. So it's not that, you see, they wish to move to the left. I don't know where they are left, also because now, in labour courts, if you look at it, we are fighting it. Even the INDC, the trade union being in the Congress, is fighting, but you see a government in Karnataka notifying the labour court, framing the rules."
He elaborated further on this perceived shift, adding, "So on the one hand, they say that they are the centre of the left or left of the center. But on the other hand, I feel there is no difference between the BJP and the Congress."
Responding to a query on whether Congress's apparent left-leaning stance stems from mere political pragmatism or an attempt to fill a vacuum in the Opposition space, Brittas was unequivocal in his dismissal. "I'm not saying that they are left of centre. I don't subscribe to that at all. Honestly speaking," he said.
He clarified that while there may be issue-based similarities, the broader ideological position of the party remains unchanged.
"Maybe on certain issues, they would be taking a position, maybe similar to ours. But that doesn't mean that as a political party, Congress still retains its right-wing ideology. On most of the economic issues, they are with the BJP only," he said.
Brittas described the first UPA government as a "model government" and attributed the decline in the second UPA term to the absence of Left parties as a "corrective force."
"The first UPA was a model government. Five milestones were set by the UPA, like the right to information, the right to employment, the rights for tribal communities, the right to education, and food security -- milestones. What happened to the second UPA, which didn't have the participation of the left? Every congressman says that. Just because we didn't have the left as a corrective force, we got corrupted," he said.
He pinpointed a critical juncture that catalysed the Congress's downfall, stating, "The reason why the BJP came to power was precisely because of the signing of that agreement between the US and Manmohan Singh. I feel that. Congress also bungled on that. If we can just go back to that incident, you will understand," he said.
Brittas questioned the rapid degeneration of the second UPA administration, stating, "And what happened to the second UPA? It was steeped in corruption. There were no corrective forces. The 2G scam, all these scams, Commonwealth came, scam, everything came. Of course, we also suffered. We bear the brunt of that. Congress also suffered a huge setback because of that incident.
Concluding his analysis with poignant restraint, especially in light of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent passing, he said, "Now, since Manmohan Singh is no more, we don't want to talk about such things. But if somebody is writing the history, I would say that it was an epistemological break for the Congress politics."