Change of Guard, Change in Focus The 18th congress of the CPI(M) was significant not merely because of the election of a new general secretary. The election of Prakash Karat should suggest a shift in the tactical line pursued by the party since the 14th congress at Chennai in 1992. The mandate of the Chennai congress (where Harkishen Singh Surjeet replaced E M S Namboodiripad as general secretary) paved the way for the CPI(M) to play an active role in forging political alliances and coalition governments. It was on that basis that Surjeet involved himself in building alliances, including the United Front governments of 1996-1998. And the CPI(M) general secretary