Allies say CPM alone to blame in Nandigram

The three partners, having 52 MLAs in the 294-member Assembly, also urged the Government to take urgent steps to restore peace in the area.

At the same time, they urged RSP leader and minister for PWD Kshiti Goswami to reconsider his decision to quit the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, a two-day meeting of the CPM Politburo began on Sunday in New Delhi with Nandigram, the Indo-US nuclear deal and the draft political resolution for the next party congress dominating discussions.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is not taking part in the meeting because of the developments in Nandigram. However, the party’s West Bengal unit secretary, Biman Bose, submitted a report to the Politburo on the Nandigram developments.

“I gave a detailed presentation on the matter (Nandigram) to the Politburo, recalling the incidents since January this year,” Bose said.

After the day’s meeting, Sitaram Yechury denied that there were any differences within the Left Front over the issue.

“Where are the cracks you are talking about? There is no divide,” Yechury told reporters

The Politburo also took up the matter of the Indo-US nuclear deal and the interaction with the Government on it, including a meeting party general secretary Prakash Karat had with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Asked about the party’s stand on the deal, Yechury said Parliament would be debating the matter and reiterated the CPM’s position that the Government should not go ahead with its operationalisation till the UPA-Left Committee comes out with its findings.

There has been an understanding between the Left and Congress that the they should not be creating embarrassing situations for each other.