Calcutta, Jan. 6: Bowing to pressure from other Left Front constituents, the CPM has agreed to constitute rural bodies for development work through secret ballot.

The Big Brother in the ruling coalition had earlier decided to nominate the members of such bodies, called gramonnayan parishads. Now, the party has reportedly agreed to give up the idea and constitute the bodies through elections. The issue will come up tomorrow at a front meeting at the CPM headquarters on Alimuddin Street.

Panchayat minister Surjya Kanta Mishra had prepared a note on the formation of the parishads and sought the views of all front partners. The allies had been asked to submit their opinion to front chairman Biman Bose by December 20.

It is learnt that Bose has already received opinion from all the front constituents, most of who have demanded setting up of the bodies through secret ballot.

“The CPM had planned to grab all these rural bodies by nominating members of its choice. But we raised objections regarding the formation of the parishads and the issue will come up for discussion tomorrow,” said a senior Forward Bloc leader.

A controversy had erupted within the front over the status of the members of the gramonnayan parishads after it was proposed that the members of these units would be vested with more power than elected panchayat members.

The front partners had argued against the proposal saying the panchayat members are elected by people and they should enjoy more power than nominated representatives. It is learnt that the CPM is now ready to buy the argument.

Before the front meeting tomorrow, the CPM and the RSP would hold talks over downsizing of the cabinet. The volume of the cabinet will have to be reduced following a central directive asking state governments to restrict the size of ministries to 15 per cent of the MLAs.

There are 294 MLAs in the state and, following the new rule, at least four ministers out of 48 will have to be axed.

The CPM has already sounded the Bloc and the CPI on the issue. The CPM will sacrifice the maximum number of ministers. Being the second largest front constituent the Bloc will have to sacrifice the maximum number of ministers after the CPM.