New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday accepted the resignation of six Trinamool Congress ministers and Congress decided that all its ministers in Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government will tender their resignation on Saturday.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted the resignation of Trinmaool ministers and will forward them to President Pranab Mukherjee for acceptance," highly-placed sources in Congress said after the Congress Core Group meeting.
The core committee meeting was chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and attended by the Prime Minister among others.
AICC in-charge for West Bengal Shakeel Ahmed, speaking separately, said Congress ministers in West Bengal will put in their papers tomorrow evening.
He said that according to his information the West Bengal Chief Minister, who is out of station, has given them time tomorrow evening.
Congress has two cabinet ministers and four ministers of state in West Bengal government.
On the issue withdrawal of support to Mamata government in the state, the party would take a call in a day or two.
Highly placed sources said the core group meeting also reviewed the political scenario post the nation-wide bandh by the Opposition on September 20 against government`s decisions on FDI in multi-brand retail, diesel price hike and a cap on the supply of LPG cylinders for households.
The meeting was also attended by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister A K Antony and Gandhi`s political secretary Ahmed Patel.
It deliberated for around 90 minutes on the political scenario unfolding after Banerjee`s party with 19 MPs withdrew support from UPA government.
The government is for now breathing easy with SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had yesterday joined hands with the Left and other parties on the streets on reforms issue, today coming out out with a statement totally backing UPA.
That Congress was not much concerned over the Trinamool Congress formally withdrawing support to UPA government was evident with the cryptic reaction by party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi who said "it is their wish".
He said this when asked by reporters how the ruling party felt after partying of ways by the second largest constituent of UPA, having 19 Lok Sabha members.
Speaking separately, Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla ruled out any threat to the government following the exit of TMC.
Making light of the demand for a vote in Parliament on the FDI issue and talk of a special session, he said the government has adequate numbers.
Meanwhile, Congress sources said there is already a race for becoming the Leader of the Opposition among Congress MLAs in West Bengal. The party has 42 MLAs, outnumbering the Left Front.
PTI
