Non-BJP, non-Congress govt needed: Bardhan

Top brass of CPI including stalwarts like A B Bardhan, D Raja, Atul Anjam and leaders in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are participating in the three-day meeting, though party general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy was unable to attend.

Being held for the first time in Bhubaneswar, the national executive meeting, presided by senior leader Jogendra Singh Yadav, has taken up a wide range of issues including problems of farmers and moves to disinvest profit making PSUs like aluminium giant NALCO for discussion.

"Besides undertaking a thorough analysis of the prevailing political situation in the country, the meeting is holding discussions to chalk out party's strategies for next elections," senior leader D Raja said.

Both Raja and CPI veteran A B Bardhan said the national executive would also discuss party's plans for the forthcoming assembly elections in some states.

While the meeting remained closed to the media, senior leaders told reporters at the sidelines that the focus was on the need to evolve a non-BJP and non-Congress secular and democratic combination for next elections.

Accusing the Congress-led UPA government at the centre of following "anti-poor" and "pro-corporate" economic policies, the CPI leaders at the meet strongly opposed the direct cash transfer scheme and FDI in retail and other sectors saying these would hit the poor hard. MORE