Wednesday, April 20 2005 21:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The prospect of a split in NDA (National Democratic Alliance) ally Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress surfaced today (Apr 20, 2005) with senior most leader Subrata Mukherjee, two of whose lieutenants were suspended for toeing his line of an alliance with the Congress for the civic polls, saying he would decide his future course of action shortly.

Mukherjee's lieutenants, legislators Paras Dutta and Nirbed Roy were suspended yesterday for anti-party activities under a directive from the party supremo.

Mukherjee, the TC supremo's political mentor, who had threatened to float an anti-left outfit designated 'Unnayan Manch' (Development Platform) told reporters that party councillors and legislators supporting seat adjustment with the Congress for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and civic polls would meet in Kolkata soon.

"We will discuss. Those in the party wanting a one-to-one fight against the CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) in the coming civic polls by forging an understanding with the Congress will meet soon," he said.

Left Front major CPM is in the Opposition in the TC-BJP run KMC, elections for which will be held on June 19.

Asked whether there was any possibility of his meeting with the party chief, Mukherjee said, "We are in politics, there could or could not be a meeting."

He said he would continue to insist on an anti-Left alliance with the Congress being a part of it.

Even the veteran CPM leader Jyoti Basu has been quoted as saying that the Left Front would face difficulty in the city civic polls if there was a one-to-one fight against its nominees, Mukherjee said.

TC insiders, however, said that Mukherjee, who is under fire from the party chief for his line, would prefer not to resign from the party as he would face disqualification as a legislator if he joined the Congress and instead wait for disciplinary action to be taken against him.

Asked whether he would lead the anti-Mamata forum proposed to be formed before the civic polls, Mukherjee said, "I do not want to give leadership."

A majority of the party 59 MLAs in the State and 61 councillors in the Trinamool Congress-controlled Kolkata Municipal Corporation were, however, behind Mamata Banerjee, though a few legislators and councillors were backing Mukherjee.

The rift between Banerjee and Mukherjee came to the fore after he met Union Water Resources Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi last Friday. The meeting was considered significant as Mukherjee was keen to reach an understanding between the Trinamool Congress and Congress.

Banerjee has already made it clear that her party did not want poll adjustments with the Congress as long as it took CPM support at the Centre.