How it boiled down to the minimum

There were other accommodations as well. There is the proposal for declaring Tamil a classical language which was added to the CMP around 2 am on Thursday, to the last of the six drafts.

The Left parties had insisted that the CMP cannot just talk of closer strategic ties with the United States and had sought a less unipolar view of the world.

The final CMP now states: 8216;8216;Even as it pursues closer engagement and relations with the US, the UPA government will maintain the independence of India8217;s foreign policy position on all regional and global issues. The UPA is committed to deepening ties with Russia and Europe.8217;8217;

Also added was 8216;8216;traditional ties with West Asia will be given a fresh thrust8217;8217;. The Congress has managed to steer clear of mentioning Israel, though reiterating 8216;8216;India8217;s decades-old commitment to the cause of the Palestine people for a homeland of their own.8217;8217;

However, the Congress also gave in to the Left8217;s demand and without mentioning the Naxal problem, the CMP states, 8216;8216;False encounters will not be permitted8230;8217;8217;

On review of the Electricity Act, the Congress has again conceded to the Left on an extension of date for 8216;8216;unbundling and replacing state electricity boards8217;8217; from June 10, 2004. However, the Congress refused to budge on the issue of 8216;8216;increased role of private generation of power and more importantly power distribution.8217;8217;

Rashtriya Janata Dal8217;s Laloo Prasad Yadav had wanted a special package for the railways added to the CMP which was agreeable to the rest of the allies. Laloo8217;s para reads, 8216;8216;Public investment for its modernisation, track renewal and safety will be substantially increased.8217;8217;

Laloo had also wanted a package for Bihar which was included in the CMP promising the 8216;8216;special development package8217;8217; which was announced during Rajiv Gandhi8217;s tenure and later in 1999 should be 8216;8216;implemented expeditiously.8217;8217;

The DMK and other allies are said to have been opposed to the idea of direct transfer of funds to the Panchayats as it was felt as a 8216;8216;violation of the federal nature of the country.8217;8217;

After much deliberation last night, the Congress changed the wording stating that there would be 8216;8216;strict monitoring8217;8217; of implementation of schemes of Panchayats.

The United Progressive Alliance will consider direct crediting of funds to panchayats only 8216;8216;after consultation with the state.8217;8217;

Ram Vilas Paswan had wanted reservation quotas 8216;8216;including relating to promotions8217;8217; be codified in a reservations act.

On the way the CMP was finalised after consulting 14 allies and the Left parties, one of the authors of the document, Jairam Ramesh said, 8216;8216;It was achieved through listening to everyone and not assuming a moral superiority of any kind.8217;8217;

8216;8216;The Left had its concerns and we respect them. At the end of it all, both Congress and Left, the major partners of this alliance realise that the mandate in this election was for making life better for the farmers and the poor,8217;8217; he said.