Pranab Mukherjee trying to break Trinamool Congress: Derek O'Brien

NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress today accused Pranab Mukherjee of trying to break the party by directly approaching some MPs for their support in the run up to the Presidential poll, a charge denied by the Congress.

"Pranab M directly called up a TMC MP seeking support. Politically ethical to do? Or trying to break TMC? Try & try again. Won't break," Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said on micro blogging site Twitter.

"Spare us from petty parleys and incestuous intrigues of Delhi's political culture. For Trinamool politics is a mission. Not a transaction," Derek said.

Mukherjee had called up dissident Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman who said that he would vote for him.

Suman said the the Union Finance Minister telephoned him to inquire about his health and not to seek his vote.

Reacting to O'Brien's charge, Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi said "why should we break their party? They are our allies... We have never done it."