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Annoyed over Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's rejection of Pranab Mukherjee as one of the United Progressive Alliance's possible presidential candidates, the West Bengal Congress on Thursday said it would discuss pulling out of the TC-led government in the state.
"I don't find any reason to remain in the ministry. But my decision is not final. We will discuss among ourselves at the state-level and seek concurrence of the high command," said Pradesh Congress Committee president Pradip Bhattacharya.
"It is difficult for our party to maintain any political relationship with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, a key ally of the UPA government at the Centre," he said.
Congress is also a partner of the Trinamool Congress-led government in the state.
Taking serious exception to Banerjee rejecting the name of Mukherjee, he said, "It is very unfortunate that expectations of Congress workers and the people of the state have not been properly responded to by Trinamool Congress chief".
"She has unnecessarily disheartened Congress workers and the people of the state by not citing the name of Pranab Mukherjee. She behaved unnaturally and felt that her four per cent votes (in the collegium of the presidential election) will control the country, which is shameful," he said.
Bhattacharya said Mamata had forgotten how her party's strength had increased in the state and at the Centre with the help of the Congress.
"Time will come when she will realise her actual strength," he said.
He said the PCC would launch a political fight against the Trinamool Congress shortly.