Basu against floor coordination with BJP in Parliament

Kolkata, July 12 (UNI) Even though the Left parties have withdrawn support to the Congress-led UPA government, CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu has advised his party not to play an active part to pull it down.

According to informed sources, the nonagenarian leader cautioned West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen at a close door meeting yesterday against going for any floor coordination in Parliament with the BJP during the Trust vote.

Mr Basu reportedly told Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Sen--both senior members of the party's Polit Bureau-- that the Left parties had rightly withdrawn support on the nuke deal issue and they should also vote against the government. But nothing should be done in a haste to give a signal that they were active in pulling down the government.

His advice came amid reports of party General Secretary Prakash Karat making an effort to persuade the smaller partners of the UPA not to support the coalition government on the India-US civil nuclear deal issue.

He reportedly made it a point that there was no need to take the blame of the Government's downfall by joining hands with other parties.

Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Sen were closeted with Mr Basu at his Salt Lake residence for about 20 minutes.

The sources said Mr Bhattacharjee briefed Mr Basu about the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meeting which fixed July 21 and 22 for the trust vote and the Congress Working Committee meeting respectively to be held in Delhi and endorsed the nuclear deal.UNI KDG ADG LS NS1914