CPM's General Secretary Sitaram Yechury leader dismissed any talk of differences with Prakash Karat, who was dead against any kind of understanding or deal with the Congress. "Inside the party we are used to a very vibrant inner party democracy. We often have contending views that come up -- they are discussed and then we come to a conclusion and that's exactly what happened at this party congress," Mr Yechury said, adding that "differences are thrashed out in the party fora. Once they are thrashed out in the party fora and we come to a definite conclusion, it is on the basis of that conclusion that the entire party moves as a single person".