FM likely to be invited to the CWC meet

P Chidambaram is likely to be invited to the Congress Working Committee meeting on Saturday in the backdrop of growing concerns over rising inflation and global crude oil prices.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram is likely to be invited to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Saturday in the backdrop of growing concerns over rising inflation and global crude oil prices.

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and several of his cabinet colleagues including Pranab Mukherjee and Shivraj Patil are members of the CWC, the highest policy making body of the party.

Ahead of the meeting, top brass of the party met at the prime minister's residence during a meeting of its core group headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi amid rising concerns in the party and the government over inflation and oil prices.

This was the second consultation in as many days between the prime minister and Gandhi on a day when the inflation reached 8.1 which was termed as worrisome by Chidambaram.

AICC sources said that the finance minister is likely to be called to the CWC meeting at which the issue of rising prices is expected to come up.

Meanwhile, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi on Friday downplayed the growing inflation maintaining that the government has taken several steps to bring it down and suggesting that it does not have a magic wand to do so immediately.