The Hindu : National : Sonia taking renewed initiative: Basu

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Saturday, Jul 08, 2006

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Sonia taking renewed initiative: Basu

Marcus Dam

Says she is taking steps to address Left's misgivings

KOLKATA: Veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu appreciates the attention being given by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi's to the Left parties' misgivings on the Government's deviations from the Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

"Sonia Gandhi has taken a renewed initiative... We have informed her of our views," the former West Bengal Chief Minister said, indicating that Ms. Gandhi was taking the lead on the need for the Centre to keep a tab on prices of essential commodities.

Reiterating that the UPA Government should abide by the CMP while framing policies, he said: "We will see what they intend to do on the points raised by the Left parties."

The Left parties, however, did not want to bring down the Government despite differences on issues such as price rise and disinvestment.

"We want this Government to complete its full term. We do not want to create a situation where parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party will make a bid for power," Mr. Basu said after a meeting of the West Bengal Secretariat of the CPI (M).

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