Forging a third alternative to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress in the next Lok Sabha elections and its stiff opposition to a strategic partnership between India and the US are expected to dominate the six-day Communist Party of India - Marxist congress that begins in Coimbatore on Saturday.

The 19th congress of the CPI-M is expected to give a call to fight the twin threats of imperialism and communalism by forging a 'third alternative' of political forces on the basis of a common policy platform.

The party that heads the Left Front and is in the forefront against the India-United States nuclear agreement is likely to decide on initiating the process of "rallying all democratic and secular forces" to jointly take an unyielding stand on the two issues, which, it feels, are adversely affecting India's sovereignty and integrity.

The congress, which is to be inaugurated by general secretary Prakash Karat, is being attended by approximately 800 delegates, including 70 observers, and fraternal delegations from 24 countries. Communist Party of India's general secretary A B Bardhan would also address the inaugural session.

"The congress is the culmination of one of the most democratic political processes any single political party can involve itself in," CPI-M politburo member Brinda Karat told reporters.

The meeting would debate and approve the Political Resolution as well as the party's Political Organisational Report during the six-day Congress, which would end with a massive public rally on April 3.

Karat said over 9.82 lakh party members spread over 82,000 branches have held detailed discussions on the draft resolution. "We have received over 4,000 amendments to it. This is reflective of the deep interest of our party workers and their participation in deciding the political direction of the party," said Karat.

CPI-M sources said that the meet would debate on how to go about shaping the 'third alternative' of political forces in the coming days, leading to general elections.

The party is already in touch with several regional counterparts like the Samajwadi Party, the Telugu Desam Party and some of the United Progressive Alliance partners. Left leaders had joined the United National Progressive Alliance rally of farmers a few weeks ago, while the UNPA leaders have also been joining Left protests on various issues, inside and outside the Parliament.

"The strengthening of secular forces requires no compromise or vacillation when faced with the communal tactics and skullduggery of the BJP," Prakash Karat has said in a recent article, adding that in the coming days the party would "rally all democratic and secular forces to take a firm and unyielding stand on this issue."

Mounting pressure against a strategic tie-up with the US, the CPI-M would also demand nullification of the Defence Framework Agreement with it and ask both Congress and BJP not to become part of America's global military plans. The issue would come up for debate in the congress.

Maintaining that the CPI-M would ensure that the nuclear deal does not go forward, Karat said, "There is a long struggle ahead. The Defence Framework Agreement should be nullified."

"What has to be accomplished is the disentanglement from a strategic tie-up with US. This requires mobilisation of all patriotic and anti-imperialist forces and a sustained movement to force both Congress and BJP to desist from pursuing such a course," he said.

On the domestic political scenario, the party is expected to decide on taking lead in forging a "Left and democratic front to focus on the real alternatives to the bourgeois-landlord policies".

The Party Congress would adopt a resolution on the growing prices of essential commodities and the public distribution system, besides discussing ways and means to give shape to the 'third alternative' based on commonly agreed policies.

The Central Committee met in Coimbatore today evening to discuss other current issues on which resolutions would be adopted during the course of the six-day Congress. The issues are likely to include those concerning strategic tie-up with the US, the Palestinian question as well as the Israeli aggression.

After the inaugural session on Saturday morning, Prakash Karat would place the Political Resolution for debate and adoption.

Besides an in-depth discussion on this document, which would chart out the CPI-M's action plan for the next three years, the meet would also take up the Political-Organisational Report as well as a report on the party's organisational expansion.

In the aftermath of the Nandigram [Images] and Singur experiences, the CPI-M has incorporated a separate section in its Political-Organisational Report, which would provide a framework on how Left-led governments can function.

This section would deal with how Left-led governments have to implement pro-people measures and project alternative policies in face of the pursuit of liberalisation and neo-liberal policies by the Centre.