Factions, ideology and politics

This study analyses factionalism as a process and its significance in coaltion politics in Bengal. Factions may not always be disruptive, sometimes it may lead too reforms and radicalise the political process. The study covers movements and politics since late nineteenth century when both the Congress and revolutionary groups were beset with factional squabbles. The author shows how factionalism led to the rise of militancy and extremism, and shaped the nature of state politics.
Marxist factions were not exceptions either. As revolutionary groups came to be the elan vital of the Communist Party, their old alignments and incompatibilities led to split politics in the state. Different splinter Marxist parties owe their linkage to old groups like Anushilan, Jugantar etc and suscquently did set the pattern of po gnments.
Tor Computation of structured inter VIews and participant observations, the study asserts that at no time primordial loyalty set the tenor of factional mobilisation. Rather, the in-built factionalism in Congress and other groups proved meaning ful in infusing ideology thus leading to ideolisation of political groups.