TMC may take a soft stand at UPA meeting today

The Trinamool Congress is likely to use the meeting of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)’s coordination committee tomorrow to signal softening of its position towards the Congress and to repair the damage done during the run-up to the Presidential election.

Earlier this month, Defence Minister A K Antony was sent to Kolkata to meet Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and ask her to let bygones be bygones.

Banerjee, too, has responded. She is likely to be a strong and vocal ally in defending the UPA against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Left assault on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on the allocation of coal blocks.

As Banerjee’s political positions are dictated, to a great extent, by her opposition to the stance taken by Left parties, she has urged supporters to defend the UPA against corruption charges. Tomorrow’s coordination committee meeting is likely to be showcased as a demonstration of unity against the BJP/National Democratic Alliance-led attack on the Prime Minister.

However, on economic reforms, Banerjee’s position remains unchanged. She is still as opposed to foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail as earlier. Also, she would want any legislation on forwards trading to be discussed ‘threadbare’ by the UPA. However, an area in which one sees a degree of flexibility is land acquisition. Though NTPC is still awaiting Banerjee’s response to its plea for land acquisition for a plant in Burdwan, the state government hasn’t rejected the proposal, though it hasn’t said it would help NTPC either.

When Banerjee came to power in Bengal, she had invited NTPC to set up a plant in Katwa, but with the rider that the land would have to be acquired by land owners through direct negotiations. NTPC tried, before writing to the state government in despair, stating it needed ‘active assistance’ from the state. The government hasn’t responded, though party functionaries have often said the state government couldn’t act as a land shark. The party’s stand on land acquisition has been inconsistent, suggesting there is some room for negotiation. The state government has helped the railways find and buy land, albeit with steep conditions.

No major announcement is expected at tomorrow’s meeting. The Nationalist Congress Party is likely to talk about violence in Maharashtra and how it could have been handled better, Muslim parties like the Indian Union Muslim League and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen are likely to flag the disturbances in Assam, while allies from the north-eastern states are sure to raise the issue of regulating social networking media.