M A I N   N E W S

CPI quits Basu govt

CALCUTTA, March 7 (UNI) — After ruling West Bengal for 23 years, the Left Front today suffered a major jolt when one of its constituents, the Communist Party of India (CPI), decided to quit the government.

The decision to quit the Left Front ministry was taken at the CPI state council meeting here in protest against the front committee’s refusal to allow the party to field its lone candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections slated for March 29. The CPI, however, decided to continue as a member of the Left Front. The front has convened an emergency meeting tomorrow to review the situation.

Left Front Chairman Sailen Dasgupta and CPM state unit Secretary Anil Biswas said the CPI should not take any decision which would breach the Left unity. “We hope the CPI will withdraw its decision to pull out from the ministry,’’ they said.

The CPI state council Secretary, Mr Bhattacharya told mediapersons that his party had only one seat in the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal and denial of renomination of Mr Gurudas Gupta would reduce the party’s representation to zero.