The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tuesday accepted the Congress offer to make Marxist leader Somnath Chatterjee the Lok Sabha (lower house of Indian parliament) speaker, signaling that it broadly agreed with the Common Minimum Program (CMP) of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's coalition government.

The CPI-M politburo met here to discuss the offer of the speaker and the CMP, a document that spells the governance agenda of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Indo-Asian News Service reported.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, CPI-M politburo member Harkishen Singh Surjeet said: "The party has decided to spare the services of Somnath Chatterjee for the services of speakership of the country."

"I am sure the whole country will welcome this step," Surjeet said.

Chatterjee is a recipient of the Parliamentarian of the Year award.

Asked about the discussion on the CMP, Surjeet said that there were some points that were raised which would be discussed with the Congress and its allies in Delhi Wednesday.

Left leaders had earlier linked accepting the speaker's post tothe CMP, saying that the party would accept the post only if it was in full agreement with the agenda for governance.

The Congress had offered the speaker's post to Chatterjee, in return for the support of the 43 CPI-M MPs to the Congress-led coalition.

Source: Xinhua