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[[File:The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh attending the UPA-Left Coordination Committee Meeting, in New Delhi on February 13, 2006. The Chairperson, National Advisory Council, Smt. Sonia Gandhi is also seen.jpg|thumb|The February 13, 2006 meeting of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee. From the left: UPA Chairperson [[Sonia Gandhi]], Prime Minister [[Manmohan Singh]], CPI(M) leaders [[Prakash Karat]] and [[Sitaram Yechury]], CPI leaders [[A.B. Bardhan]] and [[D. Raja]].]]
[[File:The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh at the UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting, in New Delhi on November 13, 2006.jpg|thumb|UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting on November 13, 2006]]The '''UPA-Left Coordination Committee''' was a platform dedicated to coordinate policy discussions between the [[Indian National Congress]] and the parliamentary left-wing parties during the [[First Manmohan Singh ministry|UPA I cabinet]] governing India 2004–2009. During this period the parliamentary left parties were providing outside support to the government, without being part of the governing coalition as such.<ref>''Business Standard''. ''[https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/cong-bows-to-pawar-upa-forms-coordination-committee-112080402009_1.html Cong bows to Pawar, UPA forms coordination committee]''</ref>

The four left parties in the UPA-Left Coordination Committee were the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] (CPI(M)), [[Communist Party of India]] (CPI), the [[Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)|Revolutionary Socialist Party]] (RSP) and the [[All India Forward Bloc]] (AIFB).<ref name=c/> The left parties were represented by six members in the committee, two each from CPI(M) ([[Prakash Karat]] and [[Sitaram Yechury]]) and CPI ([[A.B. Bardhan]] and [[D. Raja]]) and one each from RSP ([[Abani Roy]]) and AIFB ([[Debabrata Biswas]]).<ref name=d>rediff.com. ''[https://imworld.rediff.com/news/2008/jun/09inter.htm 'The Left parties have lost ground']''</ref><ref>''Financial Express''. ''[https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/deal-put-on-hold-says-left/213548/ Deal put on hold, says Left]''</ref> The UPA was represented by its chairperson [[Sonia Gandhi]] and Prime Minister [[Manmohan Singh]], as well as by individual ministers who would be invited depending on the topics to be discussed.<ref name=g>''Times of India''. ''[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UPA-Left-panel-to-meet/articleshow/800567.cms UPA-Left panel to meet]''</ref> On the UPA side, no other party than the Indian National Congress was represented in the committee.<ref>''Business Standard''. ''[https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/upa-coordination-committee-to-hold-first-meeting-on-aug-8-112080600403_1.html UPA coordination committee to hold first meeting on Aug 8]''</ref> During the [[Nationalist Congress Party]] convention of 2006, NCP leader and Minister of Agriculture [[Sharad Pawar]] appealed for inclusion of the different UPA constituents in the UPA-Left Coordination Committee.<ref name=e>OneIndia.com. ''[https://www.oneindia.com/2006/09/17/include-upa-allies-in-upa-left-coordination-committee-pawar-1158480288.html 'Include UPA allies in UPA-Left Coordination Comt']''</ref> In the formation of the committee, there was an unwritten understanding that the Congress would let the communist parties vet any major policy proposals.<ref name=f/>

The first major friction between the government and the left occurred over the government plans to divest from [[Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited]] in 2005.<ref name=a>''Outlook''. ''[https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/upa-left-coordination-committee-meets/354888 UPA-Left Coordination Committee meets]''</ref><ref name=f>''India Today''. ''[https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/nation/story/20050725-left-parties-miffed-over-not-being-consulted-by-upa-on-key-policy-issues-787467-2005-07-25 Left parties miffed over not being consulted by UPA on key policy issues, gap widens]''</ref> In June 2005, the left parties began boycotting the UPA-Left Coordination Committee.<ref name=a/><ref name=c>''Business Standard''. ''[https://www.business-standard.com/article/Economy-Policy/Left-parties-return-to-UPA-coordination-panel-meets-105101401101_1.html Left parties return to UPA coordination panel meets]''</ref> In October 14, 2005 the left parties suspended their boycott, as they had received reassurances from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi that there would be no divestment from BHEL and other 'navaratna companies'.<ref name=a/><ref name=c/>

The second major friction between the government and the left parties occurred ahead of the March 6, 2006 vote on Iran in the [[International Atomic Energy Agency]].<ref name=a/> On February 10, 2006 the CPI(M) Politburo hinted that their support to the UPA government would be in peril unless their demands on the IAEA vote were headed.<ref name=a/> As tensions on the issue simmered, the left parties came to a common understanding with the opposition [[Samajwadi Party]]. Notably, in the same period, the Samajwadi Party and the [[Telugu Desam Party]] had announced that they were presenting a no-confidence vote against the UPA government on the coming budget session.<ref name=a/> The UPA-Left Coordination Committee met on February 13, 2006.<ref name=a/>

The seventh meeting of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee was held on March 17, 2006.<ref name=b>''Hindustan Times''. ''[https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/ahead-of-meet-left-for-safeguards-text/story-UhZGwiYcZMbTB9TzzMQ2NN.html Ahead of meet, Left for safeguards text]''</ref> Following the meeting Prakash Karat requested further safeguards to India before supporting the Indo-US nuclear deal.<ref name=b/>

The eight meeting of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee was held in May 2006.<ref name=b/>

Later phase of the UPA I government tenure, the UPA-Left Coordination Committee rarely met.<ref name=d/> On June 2, 2008 the RSP Central Committee decided to pull out of the committee, arguing that unilateral actions of UPA had rendered the committee meaningless and that the policies of the UPA government were paving the path for growing BJP influence.<ref name=d/><ref>''Outlook''. ''[https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/rsp-withdraws-from-upa-left-coordination-committee/576779 RSP withdraws from UPA-Left Coordination Committee]''</ref> In response to the move of RSP to leave the committee, CPI(M) leader [[Biman Bose]] declared that the committee had become 'ineffective and defunct'.<ref name=h>''Outlook''. ''[https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/upa-left-coordination-committee-ineffective-and-defunct/577000 'UPA-Left coordination committee ineffective and defunct']''</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Defunct political party alliances in India]]
[[Category:Manmohan Singh administration]]

UPA-Left Coordination Committee - Revision history

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