By IRNA
New Delhi : The six-day 19th Congress of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) has begun in silk city Coimbatore of Tamil Nadu State.
The congress will discuss price rise, inflation and policies of the UPA Govt besides programmes of the party.
While CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat will inaugurate the Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary A B Bardhan will address the inaugural session.
The 19th Congress of the CPI-M is expected to give a call to fight the twin threats of imperialism and communalism by forging a ‘third alternative’ of political forces on the basis of a common policy platform.
The party that heads the Left Front and is in the forefront against the Nuclear Deal with the US is likely to decide on initiating the process of ‘rallying all democratic and secular forces’ to jointly take an unyielding stand on the two issues, which, it feels, are adversely affecting India’s sovereignty and integrity.
The congress will elect the new central committee and politbureau members. The six day congress is being attended by 722 elected delegates, 70 observers and 24 foreign delegates from Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Britain, Burma, Canada, China, Cuba, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, USA, Vietnam, Berlin, Nepal etc.
This is for the first time when veteran leaders Jyoti Basu and Harkishan Singh Surjeet are not taking part in the Congress due to health grounds.