New Delhi, May 22
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo is likely to meet tomorrow to decide on the Congress offer to have veteran leader Somnath Chatterjee as the Lok Sabha Speaker and hold a detailed discussion on the common minimum Programme (CMP).
Party sources said all available members of the high-level decision-making body would be present at the meeting to weigh the pros and cons of whether to accept the Speaker’s post or not.
Veteran leader Jyoti Basu and West Bengal Chief Minister may not be among those present although their views had been elicited on the matter, they said.
Mr Basu, who had earlier opined that Mr Chatterjee’s absence as the CPM leader in Parliament could affect the party’s functioning in the House, was learnt to have given his nod to the proposal. Polit buro member Sitaram Yechury met Mr Basu and other leaders in Kolkata.
On the draft CMP, the Left party leaders have already welcomed its general direction, but the CPM sources said detailed discussions would be held on the document tomorrow. They have been maintaining that the central focus should be on people’s welfare and not on corporate profit, as was pursued by the previous regime.
Mr Yechury has said his party wanted a corruption-free government with good governance and transparency. “If any incident of corruption is noticed and misgovernance identified, we will oppose,” the CPM leader said, adding “we, the Left parties, will serve as a watchdog and conscience-keeper of the government”.
