Left calls meet to decide strategy for Dec 14 strike

Beside the four Left parties, the RJD, SP, TDP, DMK, PMK, BSP and LJP are likely to attend the meeting, reports Sutirtho Patranobis.

The Left bloc has called for a meeting of political parties, including a few UPA allies, on Wednesday to forge a joint floor strategy for December 14, the day the bloc has given a call for an all-India general strike.

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The meeting is to be held at 10 am on Wednesday in the Parliament. Beside the four Left parties, the RJD, SP, TDP, DMK, PMK, BSP and LJP are likely to attend the meeting.

We hope to forge a joint strategy to be followed in Parliament on December 14. The Left parties anyway will not take part in the Parliament's proceedings on that day," CPIM Lok Sabha leader Basudeb Acharia said on Tuesday.

The Left parties have a 16-point agenda for the December 14 strike, which includes labour law violations, public sector disinvestments and a social cover for the unorganised sector. On that day, Left leaders will also hold a demonstration near gate no. 1 of the Parliament.

CPI's Gurudas Das Gupta said the Left hopes that the other political parties also express their solidarity and help to evolve a joint strategy for Thursday. "We will also not sign our names in the Parliament register," Das Gupta said.