Faced with candid ministers,Left issues gag order in Bengal

On policy decisions of the Left Front it has to be raised at our meetings,he said.

LF decisions also could not be raised at the cabinet core committee,though grievances on the policies of the government could be discussed with the chief minister,he said.

West Bengal Socialist Party leader and Fisheries Minister Kiranmoy Nanda had on November 12 demanded that the 2011 assembly elections be advanced.

A day later,RSP leader and PWD Minister Kshiti Goswami said that the people had rejected the Front by giving its mandate against it in the November seven by-elections to 10 assembly seats. The CPI-M did not win a single seat. Nanda was not present at the meeting,but Goswami attended it.

Bose,who has defended the CPI-M state secretariat’s decision to hold elections on schedule,said that there was no discussion on the issue today nor was there any review of the reasons behind the assembly by-election debacle.

On CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan saying that the CPI-M being the largest partner had the biggest responsibility and should correct whatever mistakes committed,Bose replied,”every constituent has to share responsibility. CPI-M being the largest constituent has to share larger responsibility.”

He,however,said that constituents were free to express opinions and take decisions on various issues at their own party meetings.