The Left has decided to go soft on the UPA government in the Winter Session and at its strategy meeting this evening decided they would even stand by the coalition on a large number of issues.
‘‘Of course, there will be the demarcation between the Left and the Congress,’’ a senior Left MP said, meaning the divide on economic thinking. The Left will oppose the UPA on price rise, EPF and railway freight rate hike.
Said Forward Bloc MP, Debabrata Biswas, ‘‘It will be just in consonance with the strategy we have pursued in our dealings with the UPA outside Parliament.’’ But there are several other aspects of the CMP which the Left will highlight in a positive way. Said veteran CPI(M) Lok Sabha MP, Hannan Mollah, ‘‘We shall definitely be positive towards aspects of the CMP which this Government has been implementing.’’ Mollah pointed out that there are issues — like the PM’s recent initiatives in J-K and the North-East — where the Left felt this Government was doing well.
In effect, the Left, will also ram home the point that its first enemy remained the BJP. Even in matters like Shankaracharya’s arrest, it will stand by other UPA allies, especially the DMK.
‘‘We cannot keep quiet if the issue is going to be diesel price hike,’’ said Biswas.