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Trinamul continues tie-up with
BJP in Calcutta civic body

With the Trinamul Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party virtually severing their political entente following the tehelka expoe, many presumed the rumblings between two erstwhile allies would put the status of Calcutta Municipal Corporation in a quandary. But, Trinamul leaders have made hinted that their estranged ties with the saffron brigade would not affect the alliance in the Calcutta civic board.

Trinamul Congress policy-making cell chairman Pankaj Banerjee told rediff.com that his party's alliance with the BJP would continue in the CMC.

"True, our party has chosen to withdraw supports to the National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre, followed by a move to fight assembly elections with the Congress. However, we will continue to administer Calcutta Municipal Corporation together, without problems," Banerjee asserted.

The Trinamul-BJP combine had ended the Left's three-decade dominance in the CMC in June 2000, garnering enough seats to form a non-Left board. The Trinamul Congress and the BJP together won 67 seats, while the Left Front could win only 62. The Congress had to be content with 12 seats.

That the Trinamul-BJP comfortably formed the board despite falling short of four crucial seats in the 141-corporator CMC was largely due to the surprise split of the Congress. Six Congress councillors joined the Trinamul on the eve of elections for the post of mayor.

The BJP's Mina Purohit is deputy mayor and there was speculation that she could well have been forced to quit her high profile civic job in the wake of her party's ties between the Trinamul.

However, Banerjee's assurance has come as a respite for the BJP's Bengal leadership, which is finding it increasingly difficult to come to terms for the assembly elections.

BJP Bengal unit vice-president Muzaffar Khan welcomed Banerjee's statement, saying his party had no objection in continuing the coalition in the CMC.

He added, "We would have considered reviewing our party's stand on whether to pull out of the CMC had party chief Mamata Banerjee hinted at a snapping of ties with us even in the civic board. Now, with the Trinamul deciding not to disturb our tie-up in the CMC, we will honour the decision.''

However, the Trinamul's decision to continues ties with the BJP in tact in the CMC could well backfire, for the Left may just find it a weapon in the assembly polls.

A senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader accused the Trinamul chief of being a hypocrite, adding that her much-touted pledge of being an honest politician was exposed.

"We will surely raise this issue before the ordinary Bengali electorate in the assembly elections. On one hand, she says she left the BJP-led alliance, due to rampant corruption and lack of transparency. However, she doesn't find anything wrong in continuing with the same corrupt party in various municipal boards," the CPI-M leader alleged.

Meanwhile, signs of revolt are brewing in the Trinamul and Congress camps over seat-sharing talks. Some leaders are apprehending that the electoral alliance will not suit their political interests.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Pranab Mukherjee told rediff.com that he could not comment on disgruntled elements within his party. He, however, said that dissatisfied leaders from both parties should wait until a final settlement was reached on seat adjustments.

Mamata and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath are likely to address a news conference on Saturday afternoon.

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