The government has also decided on an ``undeclared amalgamation'' of the monsoon and budget sessions, further decreasing the total number of days that the Parliament would be in session this year, CPI Rajya Sabha MP Gurudas Dasgupta said.

With the regular budget session reduced to 31 days, of which 7 days would be devoted to private members business, the actual days for government business would be reduced to 24.

The CPI had written to the Prime Minister on May 8, seeking an explanation for the curtailed budget session and a clarification whether the monsoon session had been scrapped. There had been no reply as yet to the letter, Gita Mukherjee, CPI Lok Sabha MP, told journalists.

As a result debate on numerous critical issues would probably not come up in the House at all due to lack of time, she said.

What the Leftparties apprehend is that with the paucity of working days, the government will begin to act on legislation through ordinances, thereby bypassing Parliament altogether.

The two Left parties met last night to chalk out their strategy for the Parliament session. Both CPI(M) and CPI intend to raise this as a priority issue when the House meets.

For the Left parties, the overriding issue in the Budget session will be the radical change in the BJP's assessment of threat perception which provoked the government to go in for nuclear tests at this juncture.

The CPI(M) and CPI plan to question the government's plans to embark on weaponisation and the arms race in the region that would follow. However, the fire of the Left parties will no doubt be deflected by the need to exhibit a united stance against the economic sanctions imposed by the Western powers.

Concerns about the irreparable damage to relations with India's neighbours, China and Pakistan in particular, the long-term cost of sanctions to the economy,and the future course of action on the economic, financial and foreign policy fronts will be issues on which the Left parties will seek answers, CPI MP J Chittaranjan said.