"If anyone wants to discuss with us, he or she is welcome," Bose told newspersons here reacting to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's statement that she was ready to visit him to seek support for her party's proposed no-confidence motion.
"We have no strength to table the no-confidence motion, we are aware of the reality," he said.
"Leave alone CPI(M), all the Left parties together do not have the strength to table a no-confidence motion.
"You have to be practical and understand the number game ... No-confidence motion cannot be brought by 19 MPs (Trinamool Congress strength in Lok Sabha). Number is a factor. There must be at least 50 MPs signing the notice," he said.
Earlier in the day, Banerjee said she was prepared to meet Bose at the CPI(M) state headquarters to discuss bringing a no-confidence motion against UPA II in Lok Sabha.
"If necessary, I am even prepared to go to CPI(M) state party headquarters at Alimuddin street here and talk to its secretary Biman Bose on the issue," the chief minister told newsmen at the state secretariat.
"My appeal to the CPI(M) is not to do anything to bail out this minority government which is steeped in corruption and which has taken many anti-people decisions," she said.
"If they have reservation about our party sponsoring the motion, let the CPI-M bring it, we will support, provided there is assurance that they will not withdraw it midway striking a deal with Congress. If the issue is same, there is no objection to support their motion," she said.MORE
