The four Left parties, with a strength of 59 members in Lok Sabha, have been fiercely opposing liberalisation of the banking and insurance sectors.
The Left's opposition to the UPA government also stemmed from the government's pursuance of the policies of the erstwhile BJP-led government to allow 74 per cent FDI in the banking sector, FDI in retail trade as well as privatization of major airports.
Their continued opposition led the Left parties to organise nationwide protests on several occasions, besides opposing many proposals inside Parliament.
The UPA-Left Coordination Committee, set up to monitor the implementation of the CMP promises, was also disbanded as the outside supporters felt "betrayed" that several major issues were not being taken up.
On energy security, the four parties also wanted India to pursue the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project without "succumbing" to US "pressures." They also sought explanations from the government on India's vote against Iran at the IAEA.
The comrades, however, appreciated the government's efforts in pushing through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act.
Their continued pressure on the UPA to get the much-delayed Women's Reservation Bill finally bore fruit with the government tabling it in Parliament. However, the legislation, which is a major CMP promise, is yet to be passed.
Image: Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Harkrishan Singh Surjit and party General Secretary Prakash Karat at an anti-US Bush protest in New Delhi, March 2, 2006 during the US President's visit to India.
Photograph: Manpreet Romana/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: 'The Left wants to humiliate the Congress'
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