I violated party discipline, says Jyoti Basu

In an unprecedented admission, Communist Party of India-Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu on Friday said he had breached party discipline by openly canvassing for maverick West Bengal transport minister Subhas Chakraborty's induction into the Central Committee as well as the state secretariat.

"What I have said about Subhas (to the media) is against party discipline. I should not have said that," the veteran Marxist leader told media persons at the Alimuddin Street party office before the state secretariat meeting.

Basu further said, "I can say it within the party, but I cannot say it outside."

Apparently displeased at Chakraborty's non-inclusion in the powerful Central Committee of the party, Basu had stated on Tuesday that he wanted him (Subhas) to be inducted into both the Central Committee as well as the state secretariat.
Basu said that the new state secretariat would be formed after the next month's panchayat election in the state and "I want him to be inducted into this body also".

Chakraborty, regarded as Basu's protege, had said that he had no regret over his non-inclusion in the newly-constituted CPI-M Central Committee at Coimbatore.