The Congress is yet to decide on whether it will form the government with its electoral ally in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, or extend outside support should the two parties secure a majority of seats in the coming elections to the State Assembly, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said here on Sunday.
“There are two aspects — the first is that we will be with the government and support the Trinamool Congress as far as the seat-adjustment is concerned. But, regarding joining the coalition government — in each State on each occasion, the Congress leadership takes a decision at an appropriate time,” Mr. Mukherjee said.
“Barring the governments in Kerala and Maharashtra, there are no instances of the Congress forming an alliance with a regional party in a State and then joining the coalition government,” he said.
“In Kerala, there has been a coalition government since 1970 and in Maharashtra the Congress has formed a coalition government with the Nationalist Congress Party [NCP],” he said.
No joint manifesto
Speaking at the release of the Congress's election manifesto, Mr. Mukherjee clarified that the party could not release a joint manifesto with the Trinamool Congress because the alliance is not at the national level, but only at the State level.
“Even in Maharashtra, where we run a coalition government with the NCP we do not have a common manifesto…..If we form a coalition government, it is run on the basis of a common minimum programme,” he said.
Declining comment on the fiscal situation in West Bengal and the alleged Rs.2-lakh crore of debt, Mr. Mukherjee said that the Centre's allocation of funds to West Bengal would substantially increase by 131 per cent in the 13th Plan period.
Between 2005 and 2010, the Centre allotted nearly Rs.51,000 crore to West Bengal, but in the 13th Plan period it is expected to be Rs. 1,18,000 crore, he said.
LF claims
On being asked about the claims being made by the Left Front of a “turnaround” since the electoral reverses suffered by it in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Mukherjee said:
“The test of the pudding is in the eating and all will be known when the results of the elections are declared on May 13.”
