CPI-M Politburo meeting

A crucial meet of the CPI-M would begin in New Delhi on Thursday to review the political situation in the wake of a series of corruption scams and the rising inflationary graph as the top brass would plan the future course of action to rope in non-BJP Opposition parties.The two-day Politburo meeting would debate CPI-M's approach to crucial bills pertaining to Lokpal, food security and land acquisition and finalise the tactics to counter government moves to allow FDI in retail, divest its stake in insurance, banks and PSUs like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and to seek scrapping of the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill.
The leaders would also put their heads together to give finishing touches to the draft of the Political Resolution, the key political document, to be adopted at the 20th Party Congress at Kozhikode in April next year. Efforts to rope in non-BJP Opposition parties on these issues and launch broad-based agitations in the coming months would be discussed, party sources said.CPI-M has been working for "broader unity" among such parties and has launched joint actions with TDP, BJD and INLD, apart from other Left parties, in the recent past.

Left has been upset with another ally AIADMK sending representatives to show solidarity with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi during his recent fast.

The threats from terrorism and communalism, besides the impact of BJP leader L K Advani's proposed rath yatra would also be discussed at the Politburo meeting, the sources said.

Senior CPI-M leaders have earlier pointed towards an "understanding" between the ruling Congress and Opposition BJP in Parliament saying the two sides had agreed to the text of a resolution on the price situation, much to the chagrin of other opposition parties.

The resolution, they had said, had neither fixed the responsibility on the government for its failure to check price rise, nor did it seek a rollback of the hikes in the prices of petro products.

On the issue of corruption, CPI-M leaders have been demanding an explanation from the Prime Minister, saying his role in the major scandals was "questionable".

"In both the 2G and KG basin matters, the Prime Minister was fully aware of the developments but did not stop the wrong doings. He has to own up responsibility for presiding over this corrupt regime," they have earlier said.

On the organisational front, the Politburo would debate the draft political resolution. It would later be placed before the Central Committee for approval and then circulated among all party units -- from the grass-roots to the state level, for further debate. It would be approved finally by the Party Congress in April next year.

This crucial document is expected to highlight all major political developments, including the major debacle of the party at the hustings in West Bengal and Kerala, and review the political tactical line the party had adopted since the last Congress at Coimbatore in 2008, the sources said.

The CPI-M leadership has already decided on the state- wise number of delegates to be elected from across the country to attend the Congress, they said.