TC threatens to go solo in Bengal polls

Sending a tough message to ally Congress, the Trinamool Congress said it was prepared to go it alone in the coming assembly elections in West Bengal if the alliance does not materialise.

"We are for alliance (with Congress). But we are not for the Siliguri model alliance (in which Congress formed the board in the municipal corporation with CPI-M support). If there is alliance, we will welcome it. If not, we are prepared for election if it is held tomorrow," Trinamool secretary general Partha Chatterjee told reporters after the party's core committee meeting.

He said that the people were looking for a change and "we will move forward giving respect to their wishes". The comments came a day after Congress leader from West Bengal Deepa Dasmunshi, during party plenary in New Delhi, said the tie-up with Trinamool Congress should not be at the expense of the party though the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi remained silent on the issue of alliance.

On the price rise issue, Trinamool Congress, the second largest ally of the ruling UPA at the Centre, said it was not consulted before effecting

increase in price of petro products. "The Trinamool Congress was not consulted before increasing the price of petrol. We are against price rise and hike in price of petro products. We have not gone back on our stand on price rise. We organised meetings against it with our leader Mamata Banerjee in the forefront," Chatterjee, also Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, said.

A Trinamool delegation would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in West Bengal and provide documentary evidence to him on "CPI-M sponsored terror", he said. The Trinamool supremo had on Saturday expressed frustration at the Centre not heeding her call on alleged breakdown of law and order in the state and issued a veiled threat saying if this situation continues, her party "might have to go the other way".

She alleged that the Centre had virtually turned a blind eye to the Left government unleashing "military rule by killing and gagging the voice of the opposition". Party sources said that a number of MPs including union minister Sisir Adhikary expressed resentment at the Centre not heeding to their complaints.