New Delhi: The draft Common Minimum Programme (CMP) circulated by Congress to its allies and supporting parties is "generally acceptable" to the Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPM), senior party leader Somnath Chatterjee said today (May 21, 2004).

Congress has also offered the Speakership to him and the Left parties were considering the offer, Chatterjee said.

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The Congress offer would be discussed by the CPM politburo, Chatterjee told TV channel 'Aaj Tak'.

He said there was no major difference in the economic policies of CPM and what was stated by the Prime Minister-designate, particularly on disinvestment, since Manmohan Singh has said that the new Government would not go for privatisation of important public sector units.

Stating that his party colleague Sitaram Yechuri had gone to Kolkata for discussion with other leaders, Chatterjee, who got elected to the Lok Sabha for the 10th term from West Bengal, said the new Government should now de-saffronise the country and bureaucracy.

Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary D Raja, however, said his party was yet to receive the CMP.