Malda (WB): Congress, which is sharing a
tumultuous relationship with ally Trinamool Congress at Centre
and the state, today said it may fight the panchayat elections
in West Bengal alone and would take a decision after
consulting its state unit.
"We will take a decision on whether to fight alone or
together after taking the opinion of West Bengal Pradesh
Congress Committee," AICC general secretary in-charge of West
Bengal Shakeel Ahmed said here.
"In Tamil Nadu we have an alliance with DMK at the
Centre and state level, but we fought the panchayat elections
alone, similarly in Maharashtra, we went alone in the
panchayat level though we have tie-up with NCP for the
Parliament and Assembly polls," Ahmed said.
While the Trinamool Congress is part of UPA government
at the Centre, the Congress is in the Trinamool Congress-led
government in West Bengal.
Relations between the two allies have soured over
several issues with Trinamool Congress refusing to budge on
its stand on Lokpal, petroleum price and FDI in retail, while
the state unit of the Congress has been raking up issues like
paddy procurement and renaming of Indira Bhavan, where the
late prime minister stayed during the 1972 AICC session.
PTI
