JOIN USCongress managers are confident that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will not rock the UPA boat despite her opposition to FDI in multi-brand retail and diesel price hike.
Be it Banerjee or the UPA’s outside supporters like the SP and the BSP, Congress leaders said these parties were basically addressing their respective constituencies in their states.
However, Congress leaders believe that none of these parties will force early elections. Although the TMC and the SP may benefit from an early election, the BSP, which fared poorly in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections barely six months ago, will be unwilling to face the electorate at this juncture.
Holding a rally in Kolkata on Saturday, Banerjee warned the Congress against crossing the “Lakshman Rekha (red line).”
“I have seen three governments fall and don’t want to see another fall, but they should not forget the Lakshman Rekha. We will not agree with any anti-people decisions. We have given 72-hour deadline to rethink... if you roll back, it’s good. If not, then we will take our own decisions, however hard it may be,” Banerjee said at a protest rally. “I don't agree with such economic reforms which are anti-people. I believe in grass root reforms where common people will be benefited.”
Uttar Pradesh chief minister and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav asserted that FDI in multi-brand retail will not be implemented in the state.
Addressing a press conference here, Yadav, however, evaded a direct reply on continuing to support the UPA government and said any decision in this regard will be taken by the party’s national president, Mulayam Singh Yadav.
BSP supremo Mayawati also opposed FDI in retail but remained undecided on withdrawal of her party's outside support to the government. “`We will take a decision about continuing our support to the UPA during our rally here on October 9,” she declared.