Thrissur (Kerala) Aug 16 (IANS): The two Communist parties should unite, as this is the need of the hour, CPI-M politburo member M.A. Baby said Saturday at a commemorative meeting here for former chief minister C. Achutha Menon.

"Even though it's not going to be an easy affair for the two parties to merge, this is the wish of the supporters of both the parties. This has now become the need of the present time," said Baby.

Incidentally some time ago senior CPI leader and former minister Binoy Viswam in their party organ, "Janayugam" had raised this issue but at that time, it was shot down by CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat, who said it could not happen that quickly.

"Yes, this particular demand has been in the air for long and this can become a reality, even when we all know about the practical difficulties. But things can be sorted out," Viswam told reporters here.

Viswam was also present at the meeting, where Baby raised this issue. Incidentally, Baby's call comes almost exactly 50 years after the Communist Party of India Marxist was formed.

On April 11, 1964, 38 national council members of the Communist Party had walked out protesting the actions of S.A. Dange and paved the way for the formation of the CPI-M.

The only person who is still alive from the 38 is leader of opposition and former chief minister of Kerala, V.S. Achuthanandan. Over the years in Kerala the two Communist parties have had a love-hate relationship and from 1969 to 1979, the CPI was in the company of the Congress party in the state.

Since the first E.K. Nayanar government in 1980, the CPI has always been with big brother CPI-M, be it either in the government or in the opposition. Today the CPI has just one member in the Lok Sabha viz C.N. Jayadevan who won from the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat, while the CPI-M has nine of which five are from Kerala.