NEWSLINKS US EDITION COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
After the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhaghan (AIADMK), the Trinamul Congress is making attempts to distance itself from the Congress.
However, at a recent meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee, the former refused to let Mamata blame the Congress for the souring of relations, according to a senior party leader.
Mamata Banerjee had called on Sonia Gandhi last week to discuss the reasons for the poor showing of the alliance in the West Bengal assembly polls, he said.
"Sonia Gandhi did not mince words when Mamata complained that Congress workers sabotaged her party's electoral prospects during the recent assembly election in West Bengal," the veteran Congressman revealed.
He said Sonia cut Mamata short and pointed out that it was the Trinamul, which was reneging on the alliance by making overtures to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.
Sonia made it clear to Mamata that the Congress-Trinamul alliance would 'cease to exist' the moment the latter rejoined the NDA, the Congressman said.
Even as Mamata sought to convey her party's point of view on the issue, Sonia would hear none of it leading to the meeting coming to an end on an acrimonious note, the Congressman revealed.
Asked about the Sonia-Mamata meeting, senior Congress leader Ambika Sonia professed ignorance.
"I have heard nothing about it. But our policy is crystal-clear. We will not tolerate any of our allies having any truck with communal forces led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," Soni pointed out.
"The Trinamul is still our ally, I don't go by what the rumour mills say," she said.
The Congress leaders' reluctance to comment on the developments has only heightened the party's embarrassment.
The Congress leadership has had to swallow some bitter pills with first AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha virtually distancing herself from the party after having fought the Tamil Nadu assembly elections together and then, the Trinamul making overtures to the NDA.
"We have no comments to make (on Jayalalitha's recent statement that her party's alliance with the Congress was only for the assembly polls). We have our own priorities and strategy," Congress spokesman Anand Sharma told rediff.com.
Congress sources said the leadership was considering the possibility of the party being markedly isolated during the impending monsoon session of Parliament and chalking out its strategy accordingly.
"Both the Trinamul and the AIADMK have recently indicated that their brief honeymoon with our party is over. If that is so, we are quite prepared to face what lies in store for us," the senior Congress leader emphasised.
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
