CPM eyes to wrest back anti-FDI protest from Mamata

New Delhi, Oct 15: The CPI(M) decided on Sunday to take parties in the opposition into confidence to bring a resolution in the Parliament, which would vote against the UPA government's decision to allow foreign direct investment (

) in multi-brand retail.

The Left's arch-rival, Mamata Banerjee has already announced her plan to initiate a no-confidence motion against the UPA government in the Winter Session of the Parliament. Banerjee's Trinamool Congress pulled out of the government in September over issues like FDI, diesel price hike and reducing cap on subsidised LPG cylinders.

According to sources, the CPI(M) was in a dilemma for on the one hand, it did not want to destabilise the UPA government and go for early polls for its own position is not strong at this moment but also on the other hand, it could not let Mamata Banerjee hijack its opposition to the FDI in retail.

A top CPI(M) leader said the party felt a resolution calling for voting was the best option for a large number of parties were against the FDI move. The tactic was more to create pressure on the government than actually topple it, it was learnt.

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said his party aimed at targetting the government for its policies. Party sources said a no-confidence motion would not succeed for the government could manage support of parties like the SP and BSP and could still push the reforms but felt that the anti-FDI allies of the government would not mind backing a resolution.

The CPI(M) central committee, while discussing the issue at its meeting here over the weekend, decided to make FDI in retail the central point of its campaign against the UPA and also to wrest back the issue from Mamata, who the party said was acting more Leftist than the Leftists.

Karat, while informing that the party would hold conventions in all state capitals and cities next month, said they will resort to 'direct action' to stop foreign multinationals from setting up super market chains in India.

OneIndia News