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'We have some compulsions in state politics'

Rifat Jawaid in Calcutta

Trinamool Congress supremo and Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has done it once again.

After failing to persuade the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre to invoke Article 356 in West Bengal, she needed a tool that could come in handy at next year's assembly election in the state.

However, she rubbished such reasoning while talking to newsmen soon after announcing her and Ajit Kumar Panja's resignation from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee ministry.

"There is nothing new in our pro-people stand. We have always fought for the cause of common people. Even our election manifesto speaks volume of our committment towards ordinary citizens. I want to make it absolutely clear that this is not any ploy to derive political mileage. The election in the state is seven months away. So, if indeed I eyed at the electoral gain, as you are presuming as the prime reason behind our resignation, I should have waited for another few months," Mamata shot back in a response to rediff.com's question.

She grumbled that despite being a senior member of Vajpayee's Cabinet, she had to be apprised of the price hike by the media.

"We feel sorry for the decision. Surely, we didn't expect such an unfortunate happening to take place when about 200 million people of West Bengal are reeling under devastating floods. Ministries will come and go, but our committment to the people will remain unchanged. We couldn't have criticised the government's decision by remaining in the Cabinet, so we chose to quit," she said.

Though Mamata refused to issue her two-page letter to Vajpayee to the media, rediff.com went through the text. It was signed by both Mamata and Panja. While the letter largely consisted of her complaints and her compulsions in the state, she wished the prime minister good health and a long life.

'We express our thanks for reposing so much of faith in us all along... but as you know we have some compulsions in state politics whereby we cannot approve the recent price hike in petroleum products... I pray to Almighty God for your good health and long life,' the letter said.

Earlier in the day, Mamata, along with Panja and party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay, met at her Kalighat home before dropping the resignation bombshell.

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