New Delhi:
A day after West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee issued it a "feel free to leave alliance", threat, the Congress seems to have struck a conciliatory note. Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told NDTV on Sunday that all is well between the two allies. "The words were strong, no doubt and there are disagreements for all to see. But what really matters is, to sit down and evaluate the relationship. I have no doubt that both of us consider the relationship sufficiently valuable and it has to go on. And all the issues surrounding the relationship have to be sorted out, there is no doubt about that. And I have no doubt that in the very near future, as we get progressively freer from these elections, it will be sorted out," he said.
"We are allies, we are still together and doing business together," Mr Singhvi added.
Earlier in the day, another Congress leader and Law Minister Salman Khurshid reached out to Ms Banerjee saying that differences can be worked out and that there is a communication gap that needs to be filled.
"I'm sure Mamataji also has expectations of people who voted for her and change the ruling establishment of West Bengal after such a long time. But again, we are a national party and we have a lot of expectations that go beyond the concerns of only one state. So, there will sometimes be a mismatch in expectations, a mismatch in our responses and sometimes a mismatch in answering to our constituencies. So I don't think we should read too much into these things...we all understand her concerns and I'm sure she understands our compulsions. I think there is a need for better communication," Mr Khurshid said.
The Congress' placatory bid follows a series of confrontations with Trinamool, the latest being Ms Banerjee daring it to leave the alliance after she alleged that the party was working in collusion with the CPI(M) and hatching a conspiracy to defame her party.
"Congress and CPI(M)are working together. If Congress thinks they will go with CPI(M), the door is open. They may leave. If Congress works in tandem with CPI(M), they will not get Trinamool Congress", Ms Banerjee had said yesterday.
The Congress though had played down her outburst, saying that, "these things do happen in a coalition arrangement. We urge all the concerned stake holders not to react over-aggressively and in a provocative atmosphere."
Both parties had also witnessed a bitter stand-off last week over the West Bengal government's move to rename Indira Bhavan, a building named after the former Congress Prime Minister, in Kolkata's Salt Lake. The Youth Congress had staged a demonstration in protest against the Chief Minister's move, prompting the Chief Minister to lash out.
"Congress is protesting against renaming Indira Bhavan but they never protested when Indira Bhavan became Jyoti Bhavan, CPM's party office, during Jyoti Basu's regime for 34 years. Every day they are working with the CPM to block roads. Together they are slamming us every day, but I have never used strong words against Manmohanji or Soniaji," Ms Banerjee had said.
However, the state Congress had reacted angrily to her allegations, dubbing the Trinamool instead as the 'B-team' of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Front.
"We are being constantly blamed as the B-team of the CPI-M. But it is Trinamool which has been on the same boat with BJP on the issue of FDI in retail. They (Trinamool), with BJP and the Left, had opposed the FDI in retail, although they are our alliance partners. In the case of the Lokpal Bill also, Trinamool MPs in Rajya Sabha took the same tone as that of CPI-M MP Sitaram Yechury," said Deepa Dasmunsi, the Congress MP from Raiganj in North Bengal.
These skirmishes though gained ground after a very public and major rift between both parties over the several key policy and legislation issues, most notably the Lokpal Bill, FDI-in-retail and hike in petrol prices.
The Trinamool Congress had vehemently opposed the proposed legislation both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, citing grave differences over the way the Lokayukta issue had been handled. Ms Banerjee maintained that her party was opposed to the creation of Lokayuktas in states on the lines of the Lokpal, the national anti-graft ombudsman - a move she said was in violation of the federal principles of polity as enshrined in the Constitution.
"Congress interfered with federal structure. Lokayukta was forcibly included in the Lokpal bill. They did not pay any heed to our concern. Voting was not done on it," Ms Banerjee told reporters yesterday.
"Congress is worried as we are contesting the Manipur and UP polls. The party is spreading canard against Trinamool Congress because we opposed FDI in retail, pension bill, coal and petroleum price hike," she said.
"We are allies, we are still together and doing business together," Mr Singhvi added.
Earlier in the day, another Congress leader and Law Minister Salman Khurshid reached out to Ms Banerjee saying that differences can be worked out and that there is a communication gap that needs to be filled.
"I'm sure Mamataji also has expectations of people who voted for her and change the ruling establishment of West Bengal after such a long time. But again, we are a national party and we have a lot of expectations that go beyond the concerns of only one state. So, there will sometimes be a mismatch in expectations, a mismatch in our responses and sometimes a mismatch in answering to our constituencies. So I don't think we should read too much into these things...we all understand her concerns and I'm sure she understands our compulsions. I think there is a need for better communication," Mr Khurshid said.
The Congress' placatory bid follows a series of confrontations with Trinamool, the latest being Ms Banerjee daring it to leave the alliance after she alleged that the party was working in collusion with the CPI(M) and hatching a conspiracy to defame her party.
"Congress and CPI(M)are working together. If Congress thinks they will go with CPI(M), the door is open. They may leave. If Congress works in tandem with CPI(M), they will not get Trinamool Congress", Ms Banerjee had said yesterday.
The Congress though had played down her outburst, saying that, "these things do happen in a coalition arrangement. We urge all the concerned stake holders not to react over-aggressively and in a provocative atmosphere."
Both parties had also witnessed a bitter stand-off last week over the West Bengal government's move to rename Indira Bhavan, a building named after the former Congress Prime Minister, in Kolkata's Salt Lake. The Youth Congress had staged a demonstration in protest against the Chief Minister's move, prompting the Chief Minister to lash out.
"Congress is protesting against renaming Indira Bhavan but they never protested when Indira Bhavan became Jyoti Bhavan, CPM's party office, during Jyoti Basu's regime for 34 years. Every day they are working with the CPM to block roads. Together they are slamming us every day, but I have never used strong words against Manmohanji or Soniaji," Ms Banerjee had said.
However, the state Congress had reacted angrily to her allegations, dubbing the Trinamool instead as the 'B-team' of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Front.
"We are being constantly blamed as the B-team of the CPI-M. But it is Trinamool which has been on the same boat with BJP on the issue of FDI in retail. They (Trinamool), with BJP and the Left, had opposed the FDI in retail, although they are our alliance partners. In the case of the Lokpal Bill also, Trinamool MPs in Rajya Sabha took the same tone as that of CPI-M MP Sitaram Yechury," said Deepa Dasmunsi, the Congress MP from Raiganj in North Bengal.
These skirmishes though gained ground after a very public and major rift between both parties over the several key policy and legislation issues, most notably the Lokpal Bill, FDI-in-retail and hike in petrol prices.
The Trinamool Congress had vehemently opposed the proposed legislation both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, citing grave differences over the way the Lokayukta issue had been handled. Ms Banerjee maintained that her party was opposed to the creation of Lokayuktas in states on the lines of the Lokpal, the national anti-graft ombudsman - a move she said was in violation of the federal principles of polity as enshrined in the Constitution.
"Congress interfered with federal structure. Lokayukta was forcibly included in the Lokpal bill. They did not pay any heed to our concern. Voting was not done on it," Ms Banerjee told reporters yesterday.
"Congress is worried as we are contesting the Manipur and UP polls. The party is spreading canard against Trinamool Congress because we opposed FDI in retail, pension bill, coal and petroleum price hike," she said.
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