Friday, June 3 2005 11:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government's economic policies, proposed petroleum price hike move by the Centre and Bihar situation were discussed at a meeting of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) politburo in Kolkata today (Jun 3, 2005).

Except the former general secretary of the party, H S Surjeet, all other 16 politburo members, including Jyoti Basu, new general secretary, Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury and the Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Tripura, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Manik Sarkar, respectively are attending the meeting.

The politburo meeting will be followed by a two-day meeting of the party's central committee, the highest policy-making body of the party, beginning tomorrow (Jun 4, 2005).

Before the start of the meeting, a politburo member, Chittabrata Majumdar, said that the CPM would launch a countrywide 'struggle' to protest against any further hike in the petroleum price.

Asked about the nature of the movement, he said that it would be decided after discussion with other Left parties.