Himalayan News Service

New Delhi, July 1:

Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s efforts to buy peace with her Left allies failed today with the latter insisting that the government should not go ahead with disinvestment in Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL). But after an hour-long meeting with Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat and Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D

Raja, Congress leaders hoped the persisting differences would be sorted out soon. But Left leaders were adamant that sale of government equity in the state-owned BHEL should not be allowed because this would eventually lead to the privatisation of a profitable company. “We have explained our stand,” Karat told reporters. “Gandhi said there should be a way out to resolve the deadlock. We responded with a hope that discussions will help resolve the issue.”

There was no immediate ind-ication when the next meeting between Gandhi and the Left will take place. The four-party Left Front, which supports the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), has been ballistic about the government decision to sell off 10 per cent of its stake in BHEL.

The Left parties — CPI-M, CPI, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and Forward Bloc — say New Delhi’s decision is a clear violation of the common minimum programme (CMP), which is the agenda for governance of the multiparty coalition. The CMP restricts disinvestment in the “Navratnas”, the nine profit making public sector. Angry over the government decision to go ahead with the proposal, Left parties have announced they will stay away from the United Progressive Alliance coordination committee meetings. The Left leaders, united on the issue and under pressure from their trade union leaders to intensify the protest, have told the Congress there will be no review of the decision until the government meets their demand.

Congress leaders point out that as the government has already begun the disinvestment process on BHEL, a rollback would be difficult. “Moreover, both the prime minister and the finance minister were keen on it,” said one party leader.