The Asian Age – RSS, Modi, Mamata: Lines start to blur

Sanjay Basak, Asian Age Correspondent

New Delhi, 16 December 2012. Political equations seem to be changing with the RSS’ mouthpiece, Organiser, recently praising Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, who on Saturday returned the compliment by describing the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat as a state that has been “nurtured and it is progressing”.

While Ms Banerjee attacked the Left parties for lack of industrialisation in West Bengal and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the government’s FDI decision, Ms Banerjee praised the Modi government, saying: “Gujarat has been nurtured and it is progressing”.

Ms Banerjee, who was part of the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA, countered Prime Minister Singh’s criticism of those opposing FDI in retail, saying she was with the common man who was “outdated”. Ms Banerjee, who is visiting New Delhi for the first time after quitting UPA-II, will be meeting some leaders who voted against the government on FDI in multi-brand retail. She will also be meeting BSP supremo Mayawati on Monday.

The RSS mouthpiece in its editorial described Ms Banerjee as a “rare breed of politicians, who have not made money-making their raison d’être in politics”. The Organiser added that the “country needs dozens like her”. As for lack of development in Bengal, the Organiser backed her, stating that “Mamata Banerjee has never claimed to have a magic potion that would transform West Bengal into a wonderland overnight. It is an arduous task.”

Speaking at the 85th AGM of FICCI, she blamed the lack of industrialisation in Bengal on the “35 years of Left rule”.

In a two-pronged attack, she demanded to know how the Centre allowed the previous government to incur such massive debts. “Bengal is one of the most debt-ridden states in India,” she said.

Taking on the PM on FDI in multi-brand retail, she said, “What can we do? We are grassroots-level people, we are the representatives of the people. And the common man is outdated. I am proud to say we are with the people.”

http://www.asianage.com/india/rss-modi-mamata-lines-start-blur-591

The Hindu – Mamata withdraws support to UPA government

Ananya Dutta

Kolkata, 18 September 2012. Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee announced here on Tuesday that her party would withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre, even as she indicated that the decision might yet be reconsidered if certain demands related to the recent reform measures were met.

“Our party [Ministers] will go to [New Delhi] to submit their resignation on Friday. Today is Tuesday. Let them [the Centre] say, yes, instead of six cylinders we want to give 24 cylinders at least.

Diesel also, they can withdraw the hike and bring down the price by Rs. 3 to 4… Regarding FDI in retail they have to withdraw (sic)…,” Ms. Banerjee said when asked if there was a possibility of her revoking the decision.

Ms. Banerjee said all six Trinamool Ministers would submit their resignations to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at 3 p.m. on Friday.

“We are not staying in UPA-II. It is unfortunate for me to announce all this… We have decided to withdraw support to UPA-II,” Ms. Banerjee told journalists, adding that the unanimous decision was taken at an extended meeting here of all MPs, some Ministers in the State and senior leaders of the party.

She said it “saddened” her to take the decision, but she had given the Congress time to reconsider the reforms.

“I waited… We felt that at least this government will take some decisions, but they did not take those decisions… We were not allowed to stay,” she said.

Ms. Banerjee said she was beginning to wonder whether the recent announcements were a Congress tactic to divert attention from the coal blocks allocation scandal. “Is it a fact that to suppress Coalgate they started this FDI-gate? Is it proper?”

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3911517.ece?homepage=true

The Hindu – Trinamool Congress ‘Will continue to oppose anti-people policies of UPA’

Shiv Sahay Singh

Kolkata, 18 July 2012. Though she has extended her support to Pranab Mukherjee, nominee of the United Progressive Alliance for President, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee said here on Tuesday that her party would continue to oppose the “anti-people” policies of the Alliance.

“We will not support anti-people policies such as increase in the prices of essential commodities, rise in petrol price, foreign direct investment in retail and insurance, setting up special economic zones (SEZ) and forcible land acquisition,” she said.

As a constituent of the UPA, the Trinamool Congress had opposed the Centre on issues that the party had spoken out against in its election manifesto. “We have not deviated from our commitment even on a single issue and will not do so in future.”

Ms. Banerjee expressed her disappointment over not being consulted on major policy issues by the UPA government.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3650322.ece 

The Hindu – Will talk to Mamata when she is ready, says Pranab Mukherjee’s

All UPA partners but one have endorsed my candidature

Shiv Sahay Singh

Kolkata, 9 July 2012. Amid reservations of the Trinamool Congress to his candidature, UPA presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee made it clear here on Monday that he will approach Mamata Banerjee for support, only if she is willing to speak to him.

“I am ready to talk to her as and when she is ready. Since my candidature was announced, I have expressed my desire to have the support of the Trinamool,” Mr. Mukherjee said here.

Mr. Mukherjee was speaking to journalists after meeting the MPs and MLAs of the Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Forward Bloc, the Samajwadi Party and the Democratic Socialist Party at two separate meetings. Mr. Mukherjee said all partners of the UPA had endorsed his candidature “except one.”

He emphasised that parties in the National Democratic Alliance and several regional parties were supporting his candidature.

“I understand that they [Trinamool Congress] have not yet taken a decision. When they will take the decision, I hope she will support my candidature,” he said.

Mr. Mukherjee’s comments are seen as a hardening of stand by the Congress, increasingly averse to going out of its way to seek the Trinamool’s support even though it would welcome it.

Mamata’s silence

So far Ms. Banerjee has maintained a studied silence on whom her party will support in the presidential contest. After her nominee, the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, had opted out of the race, she had asserted the “game was not yet over.” Later she told her party MPs and MLAs she would take a final call on the matter three days before the July 19 election.

There has been a shift in the position of the Congress. Earlier, it had urged its bigger ally in the State to support Mr. Mukherjee’s candidature. However, at a meeting with him during the day, some of its senior State leaders were critical of the line taken by the Trinamool.

The Congress is confident of Mr. Mukherjee’s victory even without the support of the Trinamool Congress. Last week, during a visit here, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal asserted that the UPA nominee would win the polls with at least 65 per cent of the votes.

This was irrespective of how the Trinamool decided on its stand regarding the election.

‘Initiative should come from candidate’

Special Correspondent reports:

In the ongoing war of nerves between the Congress and its biggest ally at the Centre over the presidential polls, the Trinamool Congress indicated on Monday that the first move on a dialogue should come from the ‘other side’.

Asked to respond to the comment made by Pranab Mukherjee that he was ready to talk to Mamata Banerjee whenever she was, senior Trinamool Congress leader and Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee said: “He will have to speak his mind if he is keen to talk … when we contest elections, we approach everybody.”

“Pranab Mukherjee could have telephoned her to ascertain that and this requires no mediator,” Mr. Subrata Mukherjee said, adding that the party had no information of his visit to the state to campaign for the elections.

In an oblique reference to Pranab Mukherjee’s meeting with MPs and MLAs of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Forward Bloc in the Assembly seeking their support for his candidature, the Panchayat Minister said “Some people feel comfortable in the company of CPI(M). If it makes them happy, so be it.”

“It is a shame to seek support of the CPI(M), we would never do this even if we were in dire straits,” Firhad Hakim, Minister for Urban Development, said.

To a question on the Trinamool Congress candidate for the polls, Subrata Mukherjee said that while the Trinamool Congress has no candidate, but A P J Kalam was its choice as the presidential candidate.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3620078.ece

The Hindu – We can’t put up with Trinamool any longer, CLP tells Sonia

Now Congress will take on government in Assembly

Shiv Sahay Singh

Kolkata, 16 June 2012. Hardening its stand against Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, the West Bengal Congress on Friday wrote to party president Sonia Gandhi saying it was finding it difficult to continue in the ruling alliance in the State.

“The Congress Legislature Party finds it difficult and uneasy to continue our party’s association with the government led by Ms. Mamata Banerjee. The CLP urges the central leadership … to urgently look into the matter and advise accordingly,” says the letter written by CLP leader Md. Sohrab.

Earlier at a CLP meeting, the MLAs adopted a resolution condemning the “attitude and approach” of Ms. Banerjee in not supporting the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee for President.

“As an ally, Ms. Banerjee was expected to support the UPA, especially in the context of the nomination of our respected leader, but she decided to do just the opposite,” the letter said.

State leaders see the developments as an opportunity for the Congress to pull out of the Trinamool government as they feel the party is making “no gains” by continuing its support.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article3533656.ece