Sensing trouble over the Shashi Tharoor issue in Parliament when the Budget session resumes tomorrow, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today discussed the strategy with senior party leaders.

Gandhi, who is also the UPA chairperson, held parleys with union ministers Pranab Mukherjee, who is leader of the Lok Sabha, A K Antony, P Chidambaram and M Veerappa Moily.

"We discussed a large number of issues that may come up in Parliament," parliamentary affairs Minister P K Bansal said after the hour-long meeting.

The meeting took place at a time when the BJP and the Left parties are demanding the sacking of Tharoor.

Tharoor is battling allegations that a woman romantically linked to him, Sunanda Pushkar, got 19 per cent free equity worth Rs.70 crore in the Kochi IPL team.

In Washington, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised action, if necessary, on the basis of evidence. The Congress party has already distanced itself from the controversy

Ahmad Patel, political secretary to the Congress president, Bansal and minister of state for parliamentary affairs Prithviraj Chavan were also present at the meeting.

The Congress had yesterday made a U-turn on the issue by distancing itself from the controversy, hours after it had dismissed as "absurd" the demand for Tharoor's resignation.

54-year-old Tharoor's latest troubles started with the IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi publicly disclosing the names of some of the owners of a consortium that recently bought the Kochi IPL franchise for a whopping USD 333 million.

Gandhi's strategy session with senior leaders was in the backdrop of opposition moves to corner the government in the Lok Sabha on the price front by bringing a cut motion that may put the strength of the ruling UPA to close test.

A cut motion puts to test the strength of the government in the Lok Sabha. If the motion is adopted, it amounts to defeat of the government on a money matter.

Government will also face the Opposition onslaught on the Dantewada massacre by Maoists.

After BJP, Left bays for Tharoor's blood

Earlier report:

After the BJP, the Left parties today stepped up pressure demanding the resignation of Shashi Tharoor, saying it was "highly inappropriate" for a Union minister to be involved in "murky dealings" in connection with IPL cricket event.

Noting that the IPL is not just a sporting event but a "big business enterprise in which big money is involved, the CPI(M) said it was "highly inappropriate for a minister in the Union government to be involved in such murky dealings".

Tharoor is battling allegations that a woman romantically linked to him had received Rs 70-crore free equity in Kochi IPL team.

"It is incumbent upon Tharoor to step down from office till his name is cleared of any unethical or irregular behaviour," the party said in a statement here.

"The involvement of Tharoor in the IPL franchise for the Kochi team has raised a number of questions. It now transpires that a person associated with him has got 19 per cent free equity worth Rs 70 crores in the company that led the consortium which got the franchise," it said.

The CPI(M) also said the UPA government should also explain whether its ministers can be involved in business dealings in the name of IPL.

"The government should probe the source of certain funds flowing into the tournament and reconsider whether any tax exemptions or concessions are justified for this commercial enterprise," it added.

CPI National Secretary D Raja also demanded Tharoor's resignation saying his continuance in the government has become "untenable".

"There should be an enquiry into it. Tharoor should step down as his continuance has become untenable," Raja said.

Yesterday, the BJP demanded that Tharoor be sacked immediately for what the party said was "abuse of authority" by the minister and "securing pecuniary gains for his friend" over the row invo;ving the Kochi IPL team and the Rs 70-crore stake of his "partner", Sunanda Pushkar.