Kolkata:
The West Bengal Congress has written to its leadership in Delhi to ask for a divorce from Mamata Banerjee. Local leaders say they cannot continue to partner with Ms Banerjee's Trinamool Congress after she refused to support Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for President of the country.
Ms Banerjee won the state elections last year with a huge margin that she does not need the Congress to remain in power.
Her stand on the Presidential election has brought her to breaking point with the Congress, not just in Bengal, but at the centre, where she participates in the Congress-led UPA coalition. Ms Banerjee has said she does not want to quit the UPA, and has dared the Congress to sack her. At the same time, she skipped a crucial meet of the UPA this evening, where Mr Mukherjee was ratified as the coalition's candidate for the presidential election, scheduled for July 19.
Mr Mukherjee, after being nominated as the coalition's candidate, appealed to all parties to support him. He singled out Ms Banerjee, describing her as his younger sister, and urged her to change her mind about backing him. Other UPA allies like Sharad Pawar's NCP and the DMK have also asked her to return to the fold. She has so far refused, stating that Mr Kalam remains her only choice.
Without Ms Banerjee, the Congress and its allies have 38 per cent of the vote for President. With Mr Yadav and Mayawati, who has agreed to back Mr Mukherjee, they hit 48 per cent. To cross the 50 per cent mark, they have lobbied the Left, which has said it will take a decision shortly.
As the chips stack up for Mr Mukherjee and other parties, Ms Banerjee, a power player till this morning, appeared isolated. Though she belongs to the UPA, she skipped this evening's meeting, after announcing that she remained determined to support only Mr Kalam for a second term in office. In this, she insisted, she was joined by Mr Yadav. He left her stranded, opting to support the UPA. When asked about his change of heart, he said that Mr Mukherjee is a capable candidate, and that he is backing him after his choices for president were rejected.