2 Cong MPs: Snap TMC ties
The ongoing tug of war between the Congress and the Trinamul Congress on the issue of presidential election pushed the relations between these two coalition partners at the Centre and at the state to a new low.
In presence of UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee, several Congress MPs and MLAs raised the demand before AICC general secretary and in-charge of West Bengal Shakeel Ahmed that the party should snap all ties with the Trinamul Congress. Even Manas Bhunia, a Cabinet minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, said: “It is sheer stupidity of our partner (the Trinamul Congress) to not yet extend their support to Pranab Mukherjee in the presidential election. It is really unfortunate.”
Two Congress MPs Deepa Dasmunshi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were most vocal against the Trinamul Congress in the meeting. “We have been observing since the day Pranabda’s name was announced as presidential candidate, a systematic campaign has been launched by the Trinamul Congress to malign Sonia Gandhi and Pranabda. Recently, insulting comments were made against some other senior Central Congress ministers also. The party should immediately take a decision to save us from this humiliation,” Ms Dasmunshi urged to Mr Ahmed. Mr Chowdhury attacked Ms Banerjee for spreading canards against Mrs Gandhi and Mr Mukherjee. “She (Ms Banerjee) is a Bengali and her party is one of the partners in the UPA. Then why is she not supporting Mr Mukherjee? It is clearly political vendetta. But Mr Mukherjee’s election as President is a foregone conclusion. The Congress will contest the next panchayat elections on its own without any alliance with the Trinamul Congress.”
Mr Chowdhury told mediapersons after the meeting.
Responding to the state Congress leaders’ demand to snap ties with the Trinamul Congress, senior Trinamul Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee said: “When will it happen? The sooner they leave, the better.”
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