A stunned Congress, riding high on the favourable response of the markets to its recent economic decisions, responded cautiously to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s announcement on Tuesday evening that her party’s Ministers will resign from the Union government on Friday, and that Trinamool Congress will no longer be in UPA-II. It seized on the fact that Ms. Banerjee has given the government 72 hours to slash the Rs. 5 hike in the price of diesel by a rupee, increase the number of annual subsidised LPG cylinders for every household from six to 12, and withdraw the decision to permit FDI in multi-brand retail.
Minutes after Ms. Banerjee made her dramatic declaration in Kolkata, Congress media chairperson Janardan Dwivedi told journalists: “The government will discuss these issues with her and then the final result will emerge.” He prefaced this by stressing, “We have always considered Mamataji our valued colleague and she will remain so, till we see the ultimate result.” The Congress, while prepared for the exit of the Trinamool Ministers, was taken aback at its ally’s decision to quit altogether.
But, if Mr Dwivedi’s statement — the “official” response — was carefully calibrated, the Congress was clearly angry. Party spokesperson Sandip Dikshit drew attention to the fact that the Trinamool’s ministerial representative “deftly” stayed away from all cabinet meetings where difficult decisions were taken, even as Trinamool accused the Congress of not taking its allies into confidence. Pointing out that the Congress had 205 MPs, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar told a TV channel : “The tail could not be allowed to wave the dog”. Clearly, unlike numerous occasions in the past, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s reform measures have the party’s backing.
Nevertheless, Congress president Sonia Gandhi will make an effort to find a solution, sources in the party said, even as they stressed that the Prime Minister’s statement, that he is prepared to go down fighting, has resonated positively with the rank and file.
With the Trinamool’s exit, the UPA’s strength is reduced to 246 MPs, but with the outside support of the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the figure stands at 293, 20 more than a simple majority. The coalition’s managers say it can also muster another eight votes from the smaller parties that include the Janata Dal (Secular). This does not include the independents.
Of the parties that can bail out the Congress, the BSP said it will take a view at its national executive on October 9, while SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav warned the Congress that it should not take the support of its allies for granted. Meanwhile, the Left parties, without commenting on Trinamool’s decision, said it would step up its agitation against the government’s decisions. CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat said: “We’ve no reaction except to say that we [will] intensify the struggle to cancel FDI in retail and other measures.” This view was echoed by Communist Party of India’s D Raja.
Keywords: Mamata Banerjee, UPA government, Congress-Trinamool alliance, Trinamool pull out, withdrawal of support, Congress reaction
Congress seems to prefer partying to serious governing? Their reforms are supposed to benefit whom? M S Ahluwalia is responsible to whom? His Wikipedia page states that he is better known for his exorbitant expenses on foreign trips, which cost an average of Rs. 2.02 lakh per day, despite no relevant reason for spending public money on such travels. Is he well equipped to decide on Indian economic policy for the benefit of Indians?
There are two different calculations given under two different articles. In the article titled "Cong core group meets after Mamata decides to quit" the number crunched are "Following Trinamool’s decision, the strength of UPA in the Lok Sabha has come down from 273 to 254, which is 19 short of the half-way mark of 273 in the Lok Sabha. However, with the support of outside allies SP (22), BSP (21), RJD (4) and JD-S (3), its strength goes upto 304 in a House of 545" while in this article "With the Trinamool’s exit, the UPA’s strength is reduced to 246 MPs, but with the outside support of the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the figure stands at 293, 20 more than a simple majority". Can we have the correct numbers.
Let Congress and UPA take some rest.Let NDA with mamtha take over for sometime.Dont be afraid, nothing will happen in this country. Everything will be in its place, no radical change nothing and be prepared to take up again if UPA wants.Let the poor people be witness all these unholy coalition drama
@ CA Pradeep Agarwal...Why you give so much importance to the market forces while take a blind eye to the millions of poor people. Think the forces behind the so called 'market'..
Honestly not in the favour of any political party , As a common man we want the govt change. we can bear a midterm election, but not a long term courrption. this is enough now...
Not slash by a rupee. She said slash by three or four rupees.
TMC just playing game with the fear of opposition in her state, so inevitable to oppose the policeis of Central Government, she will adjust later. The fear of TMC is that the left parties in West Bengal take advantage of the present situation. As a matter of fact why she wrote a letter to the President for withdrawal of support to the UPA Government, why her Central ministers waiting till Firday Evening to resign from Cabinet, why she demanded the P.M. to resign immedaitely because the UPA Government is already in minority. She can also demand the President of India to dismiss the Central Government or else she can demand the Prime minister to prove the majority in Parliament. Ultimately the Chief Minister will compromise one way or other with the central Government. For that previous instance also there eg. At the time of Presidential Election she dodged the matter till fag end of the election, finally she fall in line with the congress. So all these tactics to save her political end.
As a congressman, though she left congress and floated her own party,
I always used to admire Mamatiji's fighting character. She is one of
the simplest among the politicians and an interesting leader. She is
not a over ambitious leader. If she changes her style of functioning,
she can certainly become the role model for the next generation. Well,
if she continues to be like this, she may ultimately be remembered for
losing a golden opportunity of serving the people of West Bengal and
India at large. Congress has nothing to lose even when they face the
next elections - be it either in 2013 or in 2014.
TODAY u can see the market's crash due to this decision, because markets
do not like uncertainty.
agree with MAMTAJI, FDI in retail is unjustified can be withdrawn, price
can be slashed by one rupee and 6 cylinders can be raised to 12, is
there any ego, why so much fuss?
It's really too late to bell the cat. Mamtaji should have reacted long before when the UPA began to follow a 'silent diplomacy'.
Even in coalition politics there cannot be room for whimsical stands
of the partners .
Look at the last railway budget / Minister replacement. It was a
budget for the good of the people and the nation. Look at the large
number of causalities in rail accidents! Who lost in the saga?
Now, the very fact that the ministers will resign only on Friday shows
this act also is only intended for trading / posturing and not due to
concern for the poor electorate.
Sad that we are crying wolf about the "aam admi" and leaving them to
fend for themselves. All this sound and fury is limited to metro /
urban population. In the rural heartland they continue to live without
gas, power, roads , education ,medical support etc.
Here we are cribbing about doles for 6 cylinders or 24 cylinders or
subsidy for running BMW / BENZ vehicles. What an irony!
Let us use our scarce resources for nation building and not for
appeasement.
"Doles are never a solution to build a healthy nation rather it ruins
it"
Doesn't Mr.M.S. Iyer know that the UPA 2 government even with Mamata's party in it,
doesn't have a majority in the Lok Sabha? It is a minority government that is ruling the
country today with outside support from parties which opposed it in the last election. So
Mr.Iyer will do well not to to talk of head and tail. Except being the single largest party in the
Lok Sabha, a position achieved with the help of coalition partners, there is nothing else for
the Congress politically to boast of. Come down to earth, Mr. Mani Shankar Iyer!
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