With Trinamool Congress all set to pull the plug on UPA II tomorrow, the Congress High command has also now directed its state unit to part ways with the TMC-led West Bengal government at the very same time.
“We have been asked to withdraw our support from the TMC-led government soon after they pull out from the Centre tomorrow,” state Congress leader Manas Bhunia said. Bhunia is also a member of the state cabinet in the capacity of state minister in charge of irrigation, SME and textiles.
According to sources, Shakeel Ahmed , AICC leader in charge of West Bengal, communicated high command's message to Pradesh Congress president Pradeep Bhattacharya last night.The move is a clear signal that Congress too has no intention to compromise with TMC. Incidentally, All Congress ministers in Mamata Banerjee's cabinet yesterday skipped a state cabinet meeting in the afternoon. “Delhi asked us to skip the meeting,” Bhuinya said.
Also as the Congress is readying itself for life after TMC with possible support from SP and BSP, two Bengal Congress leaders are likely to be incorporated as junior ministers at Centre.
“ The TMC has six ministers at the Centre. Following their resignations, we need representations from Bengal at the Centre. We all know TMC will give us a tough time in coming days in Bengal. Central ministers from Bengal is a strategy to counter that,” a source close to the development said.
West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president and Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharjee is one of the frontrunner to bag a berth in Central ministry in the next cabinet reshuffle. However, 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 Bengal, have started to pitch for Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury as the next president of the party's state unit.
Sources say, 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.
