Kesri-Mamata deal worries Bengal war horses

Pranab Mukherjee and Somen Mitra are irked by Congress chief Sitaram Kesri's efforts to 'rehabilitate' rebel Mamata Banerjee, who launched a breakaway Trinamul (grassroot) Congress 11 days ago.

Acting on a broad hint from Sonia Gandhi, Kesri has not only declined to take action against Banerjee but also met her last week in a bid to bring her back into the fold. According to Kesri's aides, he discussed Banerjee's possible induction in the Congress Working Committee and a bigger role in the party administration.

Banerjee reportedly told Kesri that she was willing to make peace if, and only if, her detractors, like Mukherjee and West Bengal PCC chief Somen Mitra, were kept off her back. Kesri agreed.

Alarmed at the prospect of Banerjee getting more power and even being inducted into the CWC, Mukherjee and Mitra conveyed their unhappiness to Kesri, claiming she has gone too far in tarnishing the party's image. They asked Kesri to move cautiously, claiming Banerjee would become an 'uncontrollable scourge' if she was given more power.

According to senior Congress leaders, Kesri told them the diktat to make pace with Banerjee came from Sonia Gandhi and could, therefore, not be ignored. He told them they would just have to accept the fact that Banerjee would get more clout in party affairs, assuring them in passing that this would have no bearing on their status.

Mukherjee was apparently mollified, but Mitra was miffed. He met Kesri on Tuesday and conveyed his displeasure with the move to rehabilitate Banerjee.

EARLIER INTERVIEW: 'The best way to tackle a nuisance like Mamata is to ignore her'