Zeenews Bureau
Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress’ parliamentary party is meeting here on Friday, ahead of Parliament`s Budget Session beginning on Monday.
However, the meeting has assumed significance following party leader and Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi’s remarks on mid-term polls.
Trivedi had yesterday asserted that Trinamool will not rock the UPA boat, clarifying his earlier remarks that the country may head for a mid-term poll and the Union
government was lame duck created a flutter in political
circles.
"I have given my opinion as an individual, not as a
minister or a Trinamool Congress member," Trivedi said yesterday, a day
after claiming that after the results of Assembly elections,
the Samajwadi Party and even the Trinamool Congress would want
to see a mid-term poll so that they "can increase their tally"
in Parliament.
Trivedi also said that Trinamool Congress chief and West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is "not the person who
will rock the (UPA) boat".
Leaders close to Mamata expressed annoyance at Trivedi`s
statement ahead of the Budget Session.
Congress sought to downplay Trivedi`s remarks, saying
the UPA government at the Centre will last its full term.
Congress leaders and Union Ministers Jayanthi Natarajan
and Rajeev Shukla said the government was "very much stable"
and the Lok Sabha elections will take place only in 2014.
"We have very good relationship with all our allies. The
Congress president has already said that we`ll continue to
engage with all our allies and that this government will last
its full term," Natarajan said.
Talking to a leading English daily on Wednesday, Trivedi had
said, "Why only TMC? I feel after yesterday`s (Tuesday’s)
results...if I was Samajwadi Party, I would be very happy to
have a general election tomorrow so I can increase my tally
because I have the momentum. The Trinamool Congress may also
be happy to have a mid-term poll now rather than two years
later.
"If there is a perception that there is an anti-Congress
feeling (in the country), then, obviously, even the BJP would
want an election now. So if everybody wants an election, there
will be election."
(With PTI inputs)
