The Congress is open to the idea setting up a coordination committee between the party and its allies in UPA-2 against the backdrop of growing tensions between the Congress and the Trinamul Congress in West Bengal. “We are not ruling it out but we are also not ruling it in. What you are saying is certainly open,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said here on Saturday.
He was responding to a question on whether the Congress feels the need of setting up a UPA coordination committee in the present circumstances.
He, however, said that the idea has to be first thought over by the Congress president and the party high command as well as by the allies. He said this does not pertain to any particular case. “But it is not particular to say anything right now as no such decision has been taken on it,” he added The Congress has been delaying to create such a structured mechanism of coordination, apprehending that this could make the allies stronger who will emerge as a “pressure group” within the ruling front. But it has realised that the growing tensions between the Congress and the Trinamul will not confine to West Bengal but it will have a bearing on the Centre.
While the Trinamul has been openly suggesting the need of a coordination committee which had existed in UPA-1 with the Left, others view the same privately.
The AICC reacted cautiously on Trinamul supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee daring to quit the alliance.
“These things do happen in a coalition arrangement. We urge all the concerned stake holders not to react over-aggressively and in a provocative atmosphere,” he said. Maintaining that disagreements are part of the coalition arrangement, he said: “These things are eventually sorted out as long as the allies consider the coalition valuable.”
He dismissed suggestions that the Congress was scared of any party entering poll fray in UP or any other state. The Trinamul Congress has fielded a large number of candidates in the state. Reacting to Ms Banerjee’s contention that the Congress was worried because the Trinamul had decided to contest UP and Manipur alone, he said, “There is no question of a 125-year-old (party) being scared of anyone.”
in Delhi or Centre or in any other state. We are never afraid of any political challenge.”
He, however, caveated it by saying it did not apply to any one particular party but to all.
Asked whether the party’s central leadership will ask its West Bengal unit not to fan the controversy, he said, “Each of our state unit is fully capable of deciding in the spirit of what we have said.”
Party insiders said a dialogue with Ms Banerjee’s party is expected to start by February ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament.