Trinamool ready to vote with CPM, to toe Congress line in Presidential election

KOLKATA: Trinamoool Congress and CPM are likely to vote for a common presidential candidate of Opposition parties although they are rivals in West Bengal.

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee indicated this recently to party insiders. She reportedly told partymen that her sole intention was to thwart BJP’s growth in Bengal and fight the party politically at the national level.

Trinamool insiders said that Banerjee was not taking the initiative to find a consensus candidate for the presidential elections and has been banking on the Congress initiative for the purpose.


Six years ago, she had attempted to play an active role, opposed initially the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee and tried to convince former president APJ Abdul Kalam to contest the polls again, before supporting Mukherjee’s candidature.

After holding talks with Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi next Tuesday, Banerjee will meet her MLAs, MPs and party’s core committee members in Kolkata on May 19.

The party meeting is expected to be crucial, where Banerjee is likely to give specific instructions on fighting BJP in Bengal and combating it at the national level.