Amid early poll speculation, CPM to discuss emerging political scenario

NEW DELHI: With growing speculation about early elections, top CPI(M) leadership would meet here on Saturday to discuss the emerging political scenario as major parties launched political battle on various issues and the Left deciding to unite non-Congress, non-BJP forces.

A meeting of the CPI(M) Politburo would discuss ways to take forward the joint Left call to unite democratic and secular forces on the basis of an 'alternative' policy platform against the 'anti-people, neo-liberal' measures pursued both by Congress and BJP.

Virtually launching the campaign for the next general elections, leaders of the four Left parties had on July 1 held a convention in which this call was given.

The situation in the violence-ridden panchayat polls in West Bengal and the Kerala situation in the aftermath of the solar scam would also come up for thorough discussion, party sources said.

The party leaders would decide their strategy for the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament in the wake of the UPA government's decision to hike the FDI cap in various sectors, including crucial ones like defence, insurance and telecom.

In a possible scenario that could develop at the national level in future, Left parties have joined hands with Samajwadi Party and JD(S) to contest Rajasthan assembly polls later this year. These parties would hold a joint meeting in Jaipur on Sunday.

Maintaining there was no real difference between BJP and Congress on policy issues, Left parties are seeking rejection of the policies and political platform of Congress and BJP and uniting all secular and democratic parties on the basis of an alternative policy platform.