Ordinance on tainted ministers: Trinamool Congress welcomes Rahul's 'late' realisation

Supports SC direction on 'none of the above option' to voters

The Trinamool Congress has welcomed Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi’s opposition to the government’s ordinance regarding convicted lawmakers continuing in office. The party, however, said Gandhi was a “little late” in expressing his opinion.

The party said Gandhi’s statement was a vindication of its stand over the lack of coordination between the government and other political parties. “When we were part of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance), we often complained about the lack of coordination between the Congress and its allies. Now, this Rahul Gandhi episode vindicates that, and shows there is lack of coordination between the government the and Congress, and even within the Congress party,” said Trinamool Congress member of Parliament Saugata Roy.

“It is a little late from Rahul Gandhi, but yes, what he said is in accordance with our stand. We have been supporting the Supreme Court verdict since the beginning,” he said. “I do not call it political immaturity. Rahul Gandhi realised it late; realising the public mood, he is now trying to do damage-control for his party.”

The party has also welcomed the Supreme Court’s directive to the Election Commission that voting machines should have an option for voters to reject all candidates.

The Trinamool Congress has always restrained from criticising the Gandhi family. In fact, even after the party broke away from the UPA-II alliance, party chief Mamata Banerjee had told reporters she would not make any “adverse comment” against Congress president Sonia Gandhi, given the good ties she shared with the Gandhi family.

However, Prime Minister Manmohan has, for long, bore the brunt of the party’s criticism. During a television interview, Mamata Banerjee had even mimicked Singh for not taking allies on board on while deciding on crucial issues such as foreign direct investment in retail.

With the prime minister now being cornered, Roy said, “The prime minister and the government are shown in poor light; this happens when you are not able to take along all points of view.”

When asked whether the Trinamool Congress would be more comfortable in partnering a Rahul Gandhi-led Congress than a Mamamohan Singh-led UPA, Roy said the party wasn’t thinking of any alliance, neither with the Congress nor with the Bharatiya Janata Party.