Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamul Congress, upping the ante against the Congress-led coalition over the recent petrol price hike, has now demanded a UPA-2 coordination committee which would hold regular meetings, either on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis.
Such a committee had existed in UPA-1 when the Left parties provided outside support to the government. Trinamul MPs, including Central ministers, will place this demand before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with whom they have sought a meeting to express dismay over the recent hike. The party sought an appointment with the PM on Tuesday. All its MPs have been asked to prepare for it.
The Tuesday meeting is, however, also being seen as a face-saving measure by Trinamul as Ms Banerjee was party to the decision to decontrol petrol prices as a Cabinet member in UPA-2. The threatened pullout of Trinamul ministers from the government is also seen as an attempt to wangle more money from the Centre for West Bengal, whose finances are in dire straits. Trinamul has 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha (one more seat was vacated by Ms Banerjee on becoming CM: the byelection will take place November 30), making it the second biggest UPA constituent after the Congress. Trinamul MPs, who met in Kolkata Friday soon after the petrol hike was announced, had unanimously resolved to withdraw from the Union council of ministers. Ms Banerjee then “persuaded” them to keep the decision on hold till the PM returned from his foreign trip.
Trinamul Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Derek O’Brien tweeted about the impending Delhi visit Sunday evening, saying he and his colleagues would reach the capital by Tuesday morning. “Delhi trip on for all Trinamul MPs. We will reach the capital by [Tuesday] morning. PM meet time not yet fixed,” he tweeted.
With both the PM and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee virtually ruling out any petrol rollback, the Trinamul Congress has been forced to look for an escape route. Political observers say if the Trinamul withdraws from the government, West Bengal might suffer as it was trying desperately to get more Central assistance to emerge from its acute financial crisis. As a face-saving step, Trinamul is also expected to urge the PM not to increase diesel and LPG prices. The EGoM is due to meet on this on November 21.