Friday, January 13 2006 19:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Notwithstanding keeping the door open for Congress to join a 'grand anti-CPI-M alliance', Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today (Jan 13, 2006) ruled out the possibility of any covert understanding with the party and said any tie up with Congress should be formal in nature.

"There should not be anything covert in case of an electoral alliance with Congress. We are for formal a tie-up," Banerjee who recently kickstarted a 12-party front which included BJP, said here.

Putting the ball into the Congress' court, she reiterated, "We want a one-to-one fight against the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). If Congress comes, it is welcome."

Banerjee who had met veteran Congress leader A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury last night at a social function, said that there was no political discussion with him. "But Barkatda (Ghani Khan) has taken initiative and also supports the mahajot (grand alliance). Let us see what happens," she said.

A proponent of anti-CPI-M alliance, Ghani Khan had stated that he would try to persuade the Congress high command to join an alliance against the CPI-M.

The TC supremo who was leaving the city tonight to tour some districts, said that she was open to talks with the Congress leadership on the issue of mahajot although the latter had put a condition saying TC has to severe ties with BJP to ally with it.

Putting her foot down, she said her party had not raised any question about Congress taking the help of the CPI-M to run the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre and the Congress should not also put any condition. "Our main goal is to fight the CPI-M in West Bengal."