New Delhi, Aug. 12: The Left plans to raise the pitch of its opposition to what it has dubbed a continuation of the previous government’s policies, and warn the Congress not to further increase petrol prices.

The CPM, CPI, RSP and the Forward Bloc will meet on Monday to decide a strategy to adopt at the next United Progressive Alliance-Left coordination committee meeting on August 25.

CPM general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet and senior CPI leader D. Raja were on the phone this morning and are considering adopting a tough stand against some economic policies.

Surjeet said the Left parties were opposed to the earlier petrol price hike and do not want the Manmohan Singh government to increase prices a second time. “This government has to make up its mind whether it wants to continue with the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government’s policies or make a break,” Raja said.

Left discontent, which began with finance minister P. Chidambaram’s decision to increase the cap on foreign direct investment, is increasing with every move the UPA government makes towards resource budgeting. The Left’s list of complaints is growing longer by the day.

In raising petrol prices, the petroleum ministry ignored the Left’s suggestions for ways to soften the blow caused by rising international oil prices. Its protests had not even died down when the ministry announced another hike.

The decision to slash interest rates on provident fund has rubbed salt into the Left wounds.

The communists say many other UPA allies, like the DMK and the Nationalist Congress Party, are also unhappy with some government decisions. “We may even seek a larger meeting with the UPA allies,” Raja said.

CPM and CPI leaders will ask the government at the next co-ordination committee meeting if it intends to follow the letter and spirit of the common minimum programme or will stick to the NDA government’s liberalisation policies. “Let them say it in so many words,” Raja said.

But the Left is in a bind: it can pressure the government but its leaders have already said they will not topple the government since it could open the way for a BJP comeback. This leaves the Congress free to take some hard economic decisions.

“We have to think about our own constituency — this is what we are going to tell the Congress at the next meeting. Our rank and file is becoming restive every time there is a decision which goes against the grain of our policies,” a Left leader said.

For the time being, the CPM has reined in trade union bosses, pulling up Citu general secretary M.K. Pandhe for his intemperate remarks. He had hit out at the Congress, saying it should not forget that the Left, with its 63 MPs, was propping up the government.