The Left parties today "broadly endorsed" the Common Minimum Programme of the Congress-led coalition government but said they had "differing positions" on many economic issues and were not in favour of the document addressing the question of new states.

"The implementation of the CMP will be in consonance with the verdict given by the people," read a statement signed by Harkishan Singh Surjeet of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, A B Bardhan of the Communist Party of India, Debabrata Biswas of the Forward Bloc and Abani Roy of Revolutionary Socialist Party.

Welcoming the CMP, the Left parties, which have 64 members in Parliament, said their views considered in the formulation of the document.

But they said they had "differing positions on a range of ecomonic policies" which concerned privatisation in various sectors, public distribution system and certain fiscal policies.

"The Left parties will advocate alternative policies in these matters while continuing to support the government," the statement said.

In an apparent reference to the CMP's promise to consider the demand for Telangana state "at an appropriate time," the Left parties said they were "not in favour of addressing the question of new states through the CMP".