A day ahead of the Trinamool Congress meeting in Kolkata, a newly-energised United Progressive Alliance (UPA) appeared confident that the 19 MP-strong party would not pull out from the government. The worst the Congress anticipates, a party functionary said, is that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee may withdraw her six Ministers at the Centre. He, however, added that talks were on with the Trinamool to avert that as well.
Unlike last year, when Ms. Banerjee’s threat to leave the UPA forced the government to suspend its plans to allow FDI in multibrand retail, this time, the Manmohan Singh government is in no mood for compromise. Neither is the Congress. For, even as Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told a group of journalists on Monday that there would be no roll-back on any of the recent economic decisions, Congress functionaries, too, endorsed the government’s tough line.
The only point on which the Congress differs with its government is on limiting the number of LPG cylinders to six per household at the current price. Congress sources said the government had been told that the figure of six needs to be increased to eight to 10. Indeed, on Monday, the Sheila Dikshit government showed the way by announcing that in Delhi, each household would be entitled to nine subsidised LPG cylinders annually.
“The government is in dialogue with all its allies: it’s an ongoing conversation,” Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury told journalists when asked about the objections that both the Trinamool and the DMK had raised to the Centre’s decision to allow FDI in multibrand retail. “We understand their compulsions and trepidations,” she said. Earlier, Mr. Chidambaram too said: “We will convince our allies that what we have done is necessary ... there is no threat to the government.”
Thus far, Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s Political Secretary Ahmed Patel has been in touch with Ms. Banerjee: Congress sources said if there was a breakthrough, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh might speak to her.
The Congress’ confidence, the party sources added, springs from the fact that the Trinamool’s options are limited; besides, the two parties supporting it from outside — the 22 MP-strong Samajwadi Party and the 21-MP Bahujan Samaj Party — have indicated that they will continue to back the government, if not its policies.
Keywords: Diesel price hike, UPA-II, FDI in retail, Mamata protest, Congress-TMC alliance
Reading about Mamta is a waste of time. They all are from the same dish. So why to have a hope from TMC or BJP or SP.
Trinamul can not withdraw support to anti people policies of UPAII as she is not a saint.
Instead of opposing every price increase Ms Banerjee should request
colleagues in her party to demand a review of taxation policy in
respect of all petroleum products. Central government and State
governments have both to do this exercise of review on a top priority
basis.
Implementation of a sound price fixation cum taxation policy for
petroleum products which would take into account inflationary impact
of increase in prices of such products, rising crude price in
international market and demands of revenue of both Central and State
governments would create a better environment and avoid friction on
issue of price increases.
If such a policy is put in force there will be no need for Chief
Ministers of State governments to oppose price increase which would be
as per the adopted policy. But State governments would not henceforth
be able to quietly collect more sales tax or VAT with every price
increase of petroleum products by Oil companies even as the Centre
gets blamed for increase
The problem is, TMC's politics is setting a very disturbing precedent for logical political understanding. If Mamata Banerjee decides to do anything but pulling the plug out of UPA II, that decision should go down in history as a point in Indian politics where parties have become bankrupt in taking positions. This anxiety is steadily taking Indian society and politics into its tight grip. The argument of stability of a government cannot remain sacrosanct vis-a-vis policy issues, debates, impact assessment and taking a political position. Irrespective of the fact that a government is elected for five years, if the mandate gets exhausted within five years and complete systemic breakdown takes place, then there is no point to drag such a government. The allies of UPA II including TMC, are reviving a Congress centered politics. The anti Congressism is in a crisis. So no opposition is gaining much ground and giving a credible shape to meaningful political opposition.
Yes, there is no need to with draw support to UPA 2 government. The
decisions taken by the government are correct. There is no other
alternative except to increase the rates of petroleum products. After
taking certain measures to reduce the oil consumption, and to
increase the national oil production, we can adjust the rates of
petroleum products. Another thing is States governments and central
government should fix the standard tax rates per liter on petrol and
diesel and LPG. Now they are imposing taxes on rate of the product. It
is not correct Common man unable to pay the taxes on increased price.
I am totally deviating to limit 6 cylinders method. It is not correct.
In Practical 2 cylinders required per person per year. We have to fix
number of cylinders as per practical data and family members. And
another thing is we have to stop the domestic LPG illegal use in
industrial and commercial usage. Immediately we should stop the
corruption of LPG dealers and other related government mechanism.
Decision on FDI is a Dr. Monmohan Singh's economic experiment,
according to old experiences Dr. Monmohan singh may succeed in this
experiment also and distribute the results to 120 crore people.
If Mamta brings elections .... she will not get as many she bagged this
time.... I think people of West Bengal are not in mood to vote Mamata.
Please correct me if i am wrong... This is my opinion.
Mamata Banerjee has lost credibility and her threats that she would pull out her ministers and her support to the government should be taken with a pinch of salt. The feisty Trinamool leader has been displaying an appalling lack of consistency in her statements and actions and the Congress knows that though she might lead them a merry dance she will stop short of rocking the boat, because that might well prove detrimental to her and her party.
Congress and UPA will not fear about mamtas threatening. UPA have money to calm down their protest
Don't see what difference would a few Walmarts make in India. There was this program on TV where the progress of the price of tomatoes was shown. The farmer was selling it for Rs.5 a kilo and the end user was buying it at Rs 30. The entry of walmart will only impact the sales of the Indian shopping malls and no body else.
Sir
We have seen reforms wth country going for privatization in 90s followed by globalization and now the introduction of liberalization with tying knots on communication, retail trade and probably mining. But has the reforms born the expected fruits? The poverty has been there steady fast, economy has become vulnerable and above all, corruption has become rampant. Yes, media reported our home Minister saying that common man forgot Bofors and they will forget Coalgate as well. He is true becuase the magnitude of all future scams will belittle them and the truth lies in the fact that corruption and scams are the only sector that is over ridding Planning Commission's objective of growth rate of 10 percent!
Obviously UPA is confident nothing will happen. Mamata has already done this kind of tantrums earlier also, she will not withdraw her support from UPA. Just to make a show off, she will do all these protests in kolkata.
Both Mamata Banerjee with Sonia Gandhi playing a game for their own benefits and made public a scapegoat and suffer with their non-sense stuff on streets of Delhi and Bengal. Where does LAW or STATE exists in India? if a common man does a strike against any important issue like agriculture farmers suicides etc, will be kicked off by Police. Where as CM of states can walk with huge crowd on streets and create traffic jams and other issues and police even support her. What a kind of democarcy we have and for sure, the politics and economics of India make public suffer a lot and die with their policies in place.
That's what voters can not do.
are common Bengali getting either . bet it , big bang NO.
did Crores makes nation or state. It's stand for truth and righteously .
You might see it wiped out in seconds .
Big Bang would have been more ration and ways to deliver.
One life choose one way of living. That all which counts.
.
Dirty political games will never end and Mamata will continue to
support the central Govt.Since how long we are seeing this all and
even from the day 1 all the people know that she is not going to do
anything other than making statements.Our prime minister only opens
his mouth to speak about price hikes and privatization.He may be a
good economist but with the high GDP figures alone a nation cannot
survive.We the very ordinary people won't understand this first of
all.They are comparing the price of of fuel with the well developed
nations were the earnings of people are many times greater than what
an average Indian earns.But here we can see people struggling to make
money for a day's food.Yesterday I saw a family where the mother is
struggling to make money for treating her daughter suffering from
kidney failure,where the elected people are completely ignoring
them.With the increased cost for medicine,food and other basic things
they will not survive in this country....Jai Hind
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