Congress mulls pulling out of Mamata Cabinet

Irritated by the “dictatorial” attitude of West Bengal chief minister on several issues, the Congress is considering pulling out of Mamata cabinet in the state.

According to Congress sources, the party is actively considering pulling out its ministers from Mamata Banerjee-led state cabinet.

It started with suicides by the farmers, particularly paddy growers, when Congress questioned the role of the state government.

Congress had demanded state government's intervention to stop suicides and compensation for the deceased, but TMC supremo and chief minister had rejected reports of farmers' suicide saying, “No farmer committed suicide, except one,”.

The resignation of Congress minister Manoj Bhattacharya is seen as the fallout of the ongoing rift between Congress-and TMC.

The renaming of Indira Bhawan is another factor that created heated exchanges between the two ruling partners in the state.  And the recent developments in the state since Park Street rape case in first week of February have triggered more discontent among the leaders of the grand old party.

The Congress leaders have also started raising question over Mamata Banerjee’s style of governance too.

Not only policy issues, several other factors are also perturbing Congress. TMC has all along been trying to woo senior Congress leaders to its fold by promising them posts and perks.

On the other hand, Congress workers, unwilling to join TMC, were reportedly subjected to attacks and some of them died in recent times. Pulak Tarafdar, a youth Congress leader from Balurghat was brutally killed by some miscreants two days back.

PCC leader Om Prakash Mishra said, “We are informed by our district president that the TMC-backed goons are behind this murder. It is dangerous. They brought the old turf war in new form throughout the state. They are not even ready to listen to our suggestions.”

Earlier, Minister of State for Labour, Sabina Yeasmin, had complained that she has not been entrusted with any responsibilities despite being a minister.  “If I opt out, all our ministers will also resign (from cabinet)”, she told reporters sitting in her office at Writers’ Buildings.

Talking to TSI, senior AICC member and MP, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “Personally I believe, we should not be in cabinet, but remain in front and support the government. I had conveyed this to AICC President Sonia Gandhi when we were approached to be part of the Cabinet. I feel, we can play much better role if we are not in Cabinet. Why shall we bear the burden of faulty government?”.

PCC president Pradip Bhattacharya has indicated that the question of pulling out its ministers from the Cabinet might be discussed in the next PCC executive meeting on March 18.