CPI(M) Polit Bureau meet begins

New Delhi, Mar 10: The top leadership of the CPI(M) today (Mar 10, 2006) began its three-day deliberations to finalise the party's strategy for the coming assembly polls, formulate its opinion on the General Budget and review its relations with the UPA Government.

The 17-member Polit Bureau will review the performance of the 22-month-old Manmohan Singh Government in the backdrop of its ''anti-people and anti-labour policies, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, former General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, party veteran Jyoti Basu, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Mr Sitaram Yechuri, Mrs Brinda Karat and Mr M K Pandhe are among those attending the meeting.

The Polit Bureau meeting would be followed by the meeting of the 85-member Central Committee of the party, which would discuss national political developments including the 'rath yatra' proposed to be undertaken by BJP leader L K Advani against the Varanasi blasts.

The sources said the party could also finalise its Chief Ministerial candidate for the assembly polls in Kerala.

UNI