Thursday, April 14 2005 12:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: With Assembly polls in West Bengal due next year (2006), leaders of Congress and Trinamool Congress have started informal discussions to form an alliance considering that only an undivided Opposition could pose a serious challenge to State's Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM)-led ruling Left Front.

The process of an understanding between the two parties was, however, complicated by statements by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, according to leaders of the two parties favouring an alliance.

Mukherjee had said that the Congress could not have an understanding with Trinamool Congress as along as it was with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) while Mamata contended that the her party could not go with Congress since it enjoyed CPM's support at the Centre.

There were, however, opinions to the contrary in both the parties.

A senior Trinamool Congress legislator and former Union Minister Saugata Roy told sources, "The two parties should bury their differences. Otherwise, anti-CPM votes would be split between Congress and Trinamool and benefit the Left Front in the poll."

A front-ranking state Congress leader Abdul Mannan, a close lieutenant of former Railway Minister Ghani Khan Chowdhury, also holds the same view.

Efforts in both parties for an alliance has gathered momentum given the forthcoming elections to 85 municipalities across the State and to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

Trinamool Congress MLA's known to be in favour of an alliance, including Kolkata Mayor Subrata Mukherjee, have met several Congress MLAs in the past few days, notwithstanding Mamata's reluctance to join hands with the Congress as she had done in the last Assembly elections.

Mamata has refused to part with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) perhaps because she wants to play her cards right after having burnt her fingers by quitting the vital Railway portfolio in Vajpayee regime.

The Trinamool chief has issued a stern warning to those wanting an understanding with Congress.

"The door of the party is closed for those suffering from insecurity," Mamata has written in a signed editorial in her party organ 'Jago Bangla'.