New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial meeting of the United Progressive Alliance to finalise the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), top Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) leaders today (May 26, 2004) met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is tipped to be chairperson of the ruling post-poll alliance.

CPM general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechuri met Gandhi at her residence and are understood to have conveyed their party's decision to accept Congress offer to make veteran Marxist leader Somnath Chatterjee as the Lok Sabha Speaker.

They are also understood to have discussed their suggestions, which they feel should be incorporated in the CMP.