Kolkata: After a lull in the straining of
ties between the two parties, the Congress in West Bengal has
said that their "voice does not sustain" in the Trinamool
Congress-led government and the party had a "right to grow on
its own strength."
"A 127-year-old party has the right to grow on its own
strength. It need not play second fiddle to any other party,"
WBPCC president Pradip Bhattacherjee said.
"In the cabinet, we are so negligible that our voice does
not sustain," he said.
The Congress has "supported" the government on several
issues, including the handling of the situation after the AMRI
hospital fire, Gorkhaland demand and the problems in Maoist-
affected Junglemahal, he said.
"But, this is virtually a Trinamool Congress government.
Congress is a small part of the government. Basic policy and
other decisions are taken by the Trinamool Congress and being
implemented by the Trinamool Congress. Congress' say is
negligible," Bhattacharjee said.
He said Congress ministers attended meetings of the
council of ministers, "but so far I know Congress has no big
role in the opinion-making process. So opinion is taken by the
Trinamool Congress unilaterally, both in the Ministry and the
party level, which creates confusion."
The relations between the two parties strained after they
bickered over issues such as paddy prices, the renaming of
Indira Bhavan and a cabinet reshuffle leaving ministers of the
ally with reduced powers.
"Three months ago we requested the Trinamool Congress to
form a co-ordination committee in the state so that we can sit
and find a solution to the problems that crop up time to time
between two parties. But our request was not heeded to,"
Bhattacharjee said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 26, 2012, 11:16