Congress divided over alliance with Trinamool

On the other hand,Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee has her party’s interests to consider in north Bengal. According to a source in the party,as Trinamool has negligible presence in the region,there is an apprehension that the few leaders based there could defect to the Congress to keep their election hopes alive. “If there is no alliance,the prospects of Trinamool candidates are poor,’ he added.

In south Bengal,where the Congress has always been weak,leaders like Subrata Mukherjee are all for an alliance with the Trinamool. In the last few months,the Congress has taken double hits with the exit of Somen Mitra and Sudip Bandyopadhyay. Both south Bengal leaders had joined hands with Banrejee with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections,a source in the Congress said.

Mukherjee,a former Trinamool leader,supported the alliance saying pre-conditions will only harm the possibility of an alliance. “Discussions should be held directly between the Congress high command and Mamata. If the Opposition votes are divided,it will benefit the CPM,” he added.

Leaders like Manas Bhuniya point to the “unpredictability factor” in any equation with Banerjee. “She left the Congress in 2001 and joined the NDA for a ministership. This should be taken into consideration when any alliance is being planned with her,” Bhuniya said in Delhi after a meeting with party president Sonia Gandhi. The state Congress delegation had demanded an assurance of support from the Trinamool should the Congress retain power at the Centre.