Tuesday, April 26 2005 22:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress tonight (Apr 26, 2005) split with rebel leader Subrata Mukherjee floating a separate platform with 10 MLAs and 11 councillors ''to fight the CPM led Left Front in the June 19 Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections and next year's Assembly polls.''

Mukherjee, the city Mayor, who hosted a dinner meeting with the MLAs and councillors said "I tried to make party supremo Mamata Banerjee understand the need for a tie-up with the Congress to defeat the CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) at the hustings, but she did not respond.

"I am now floating a platform, 'Kolkata Unnayan Manch' and will form a political party in the coming days. If she gives a call for an alliance with the Congress and comes out with a formula, I am prepared to discuss it with her," he said.

Mukherjee said he would apply for a fixed symbol and the party flag would have the tricolour in the middle with the symbol.

Justifying his line of allying with Congress and other anti-Left parties like the Samajwadi Party, NCP (Nationalist Congress Party), JDU (Janata Dal United) and Party for Democratic Socialism, Mukherjee said that the Trinamool and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) with 27 per cent votes could not defeat the ruling Left Front in West Bengal.

"One to one fight is necessary to defeat the CPM led Left Front," he said.

He also warned that if any disciplinary action was taken by the party against any member of the manch, "it would be dealt with appropriately."

Earlier, rejecting Mukherjee's line, TC supremo Mamata Banerjee said that a tie-up with the Congress was not possible since it was running the Central Government with CPM support and had 'backstabbed' Trinamool during the last Assembly elections. The Trinamool Congress had fought the 2001 Assembly poll in alliance with the Congress.

To initiate a dialogue with the leadership of Congress and the other parties, he along with Tapas Ray would leave for Delhi tomorrow and hold a public meeting in Kolkata after returning to the metropolis.

A common mayoral candidate would be decided after consultation with other parties, he said.

The Trinamool Congress was formed in 1998 after breaking away from the Congress.