Kolkata: Senior Congress leader and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee today (Dec 19, 2004) did not rule out the possibility of a state-level electoral tie-up with Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TC) keeping the 2006 Assembly poll in mind but hinted that the ball was in the court of TC to decide in this regard.

"In politics everything is possible or impossible," he told reporters when asked whether there was any possibility of such an adjustment between the two parties keeping in view the next year's city civic polls and West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled in 2006.

"It fully depends on them (Trinamool Congress)," Mukherjee, who is also the president of the State Congress said hinting that it was upto Mamata Banerjee to take a decision for an electoral tie up with Congress severing its links with BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party).

A senior party leader and Union Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi had recently urged Banerjee to return to her parent party Congress after severing alliance with BJP. The Trinamool Congress had earlier denied reports that Congress had initiated discussions with it to try for seat adjustment at the State level keeping in view next year's civic elections and 2006 State Assembly polls, if it was not possible for Banerjee to return to Congress given the present political arrangement at the national level with Congress being an ally of CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) in Delhi. The cornerstone of her policy is to oppose CPM at any cost, party insiders said.

Speculation was rife after Mamata met Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee at his residence in New Delhi on December 6.

Referring to media reports in this regard, Mukherjee told newsmen after inaugurating a Vijaya Bank branch in Kolkata that it was a "social meeting".

After the NDA (National Democratic Alliance)'s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, a section of senior Trinamool Congress leaders had questioned the policy of continuing the alliance with BJP.

A senior party Legislator and former Union Minister Saugata Roy had said the alliance had cost the party dearly in terms of minority votes.

Some of them had advocated an alliance with Congress.

The party's minority leader and general secretary Sultan Ahmed said BJP's determination to return to hardline Hindutva has only complicated things for Trinamool.

"There are about three to four MLAs who want to return to Congress. They are free to leave," said Madan Mitra, the party's youth wing chief and a close aide of Trinamool Congress supremo.

Trinamool Congress fought the last Lok Sabha election in alliance with BJP in West Bengal but the combine suffered humiliating defeat with Banerjee being the lone winner retaining her South Kolkata parliamentary seat.

The Trinamool Congress forged an electoral alliance with Congress in 2001 Assembly elections in a bid to dislodge the CPM-led Left Front Government but failed in its efforts.