M A I N   N E W S

Left says no to Mulayam, lays confidence in UPA
Our Correspondent

Kolkata, February 9
The CPI(M) politburo, though differing widely on the question of the continuance of the support to the UPA government, today rejected the Samajwadi Party leader’s, Mr Mulayum Singh, proposal for bringing a no-confidence motion against the Manmohan Singh government in the Budget session of the Lok Sabha.

On the contrary, the politburo at its meeting here today decided to extend support for some time more for allowing the government to rectify its past mistakes and further refrain from taking any new steps unilaterally violating the UPA’s common minumum programme.

Accordingly, the politburo wanted that all Left parties should move unitedly in raising protests, both inside and outside Parliament and also persuade other UPA partners like the RJD, Lok Sakti Dal, etc. to pressurise the Prime Minister against adopting any anti-people decision.

After the meeting, Mr Sitaram Yechuri, an MP from West Bengal, said at this stage they were not discussing about the withdrawal of support. He denied they had received any proposal from Mr Mulayum Singh Yadav regarding no-confidence motion against the UPA government. He also ruled out any possibilities of the formation of an anti-Congress(l) third front.

The two-day politburo meeting which began today at the Alimuddin Street party office was attended by all members except Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet, who was ill. But the veteran, Mr Jyoti Basu, was present.

The meeting also discussed the party’s poll strategy in the coming Assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

Interestingly, Mr Debabrata Biswas, the Forward Bloc president, now in the city, was summoned at the Alimuddin Street office during the politburo meeting. He was requested to mediate at the ministerial level at the Centre for stopping the Prime Minister against taking any more decisions flouting the common minimum programme.

At the meeting it was also decided that the Left parties would attend the UPA’s coordination committee’s meeting on February 13 where they would convey their warnings.