Pranab plays down rift with Trinamool Congress

Playing down the breakup of the alliance between Congress and Trinamool Congress for May 30 Kolkata civic body poll, Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee today indicated it would not affect the possibility of the two parties aligning for next year's assembly election in West Bengal.

"We have tried forging an alliance (with Trinamool Congress) for the civic poll but it did not take place. I am not blaming anyone. After the civic poll, we can again hold talks. Civic elections are not the last word," Mukherjee, also the WBPCC president, told reporters here.

Describing Trinamool Congress as a respected ally of UPA government, he said it was unfortunate that "we could not fight together (against CPI-M-led Left Front in civic election)."

"We are working together," he said before hitting the campaign trail for elections to Kolkata Municipal Corporation and 81 civic bodies across the state.

The veteran Congress leader, who discussed the civic polls with state Congress leaders at his residence earlier in the day, said the Lok Sabha and assembly polls decided the government at the Centre and the state and there was no reason to equate the civic polls with it.