Wednesday, February 8 2006 15:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A meeting of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau is being held in Kolkata from tomorrow (Feb 9,2006) amid growing strains between Left parties and the Congress-led coalition at the Centre on a variety of issues including Iran, airports privatisation and FDI in retail sector.

The two-day Polit Bureau meeting comes ahead of the February 13 UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting and in the backdrop of threats from Left leaders that they would have to decide on "what to do if the Government failed to adhere tothe Common Minimum Programme of the ruling alliance.

Deliberations at the CPI(M) meet are also significant as it is being held ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament and the Left parties have given a series of wish-lists to the Finance Minister, including imposition of more taxes on the super-rich.

Trouble is brewing among the Left-UPA allies, with a junior partner of the 61-member key outside supporters of the central coalition - RSP - even warning that it could consider withdrawal of support.

Castigating the UPA government for crossing the 'Lakshman Rekha' of the CMP on the Iran nuclear issue, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury has warned "If the Government insists that it wants to carry on like it has done on the Iran issue if it wants to go to that level, then we would also see in the coming days what to do."

Last week, his Polit Bureau colleague and West Bengal CPI(M) secretary Anil Biswas had also warned that the party would have to "re-think" its support to the UPA government if it continued to deviate from the CMP.

The Left parties had met here last week and had accused the government that its decision on the Iran nuclear issue was not in conformity with independent foreign policy and was a deviation from the CMP.

The meeting also assumes significance as the Assembly polls in five states including West Bengal and Kerala, where Congress is the principal political adversary for the Left,are scheduled in the next few months.

The CPI National Executive would also meet on February 25-26 to review poll preparations and to continue debate on the role of the government in handling these matters.