With the Trinamool Congress (TMC) set to pull out from the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on Friday, the Congress high command has directed its West Bengal unit to part ways with the TMC in the state.
“We have been asked to withdraw support from the TMC-led government soon after TMC pulls out from the Centre,” said state Congress leader Manas Bhunia, who is a minister in the state government in charge of irrigation, SME and textiles.
According to sources, Shakeel Ahmed, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader in charge of West Bengal, has communicated the Congress high command’s message to West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Pradip Bhattacharya. The move is a signal that the Congress, too, has no intention to compromise with the TMC.
Meanwhile, TMC chief and Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee hardened her stand and asked for a mid-term poll. “We will protest FDI. Pranabda had said there will be consensus before taking the decision. Forget consensus, there was not even consultation. They should go to the people and seek mandate before implementing this,” said Banerjee. “Our ministers will go to Delhi and resign. We have sought the President's time, to inform him of our withdrawal of support to the UPA.”
The Congress, too, is gearing up for the showdown. All Congress ministers in Banerjee's government skipped a cabinet meeting on Wednesday afternoon. “Delhi asked us to skip the meeting,” said Bhunia.
As the Congress is readying itself for life after the TMC with possible support from the SP and BSP, two Bengal Congress leaders are likely to be incorporated as junior ministers at the Centre.
“The TMC has six ministers at the Centre. Following their resignations, we need representations from Bengal at the Centre. We know TMC will give us a tough time in the coming days in Bengal. Central ministers from Bengal is a strategy to counter that,” said a state Congress leader.
WBPCC president Bhattacharya, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, is one of the front-runners to bag a berth in the next Cabinet reshuffle at the Centre. However, the state unit of the party is likely to put a demand for a Cabinet berth for one of the state leaders.
Already, a section of Congress in the state have started to pitch for Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury as the next president of the state unit.
Sources say that the second candidate for a central ministry is likely to be Congress MP from Malda and brother of late Bengal Congressman A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury.
