'Floor coordination between Cong, TMC not to be affected'

Kolkata, 10 Mar: The West Bengal Congress today said that the abstention by the Trinamool Congress during voting on the Women's Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha would not come in the way of floor coordination between the two parties in the state assembly.

"This happens in politics, but it will not come in the way of floor coordination between TMC and Congress here," Leader of Congress Legislature Party in the assembly Manas Bhunia said.

Bhunia said that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was a supporter of the Women's Reservation Bill and yesterday's situation should not have taken place.

He hoped that she would talk to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the problem would be resolved.

The Bill, he hoped, would also have a smooth sailing in the Lok Sabha.

Trinamool Congress Secretary General and Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee, echoing party supremo Mamata Banerjee, attributed the party's abstention from voting in the Rajya Sabha to a communication gap.

Stating that his party was committed to the Women's Reservation Bill, Chatterjee said that Banerjee had introduced reservation in the party and four of the 19 Trinamool MPs were women.

Left Front Chief Whip in the assembly Syed Md Masih, however, told reporters here that the alliance between the Congress and Trinamool Congress was 'opportunistic' and would not last long.

"Their only purpose is to attack the CPI(M). It is an opportunistic alliance. It cannot last long. It was exposed during TMC's abstention from voting on the Women's Bill in the Rajya Sabha yesterday," he said.

"We have seen their floor management in Delhi as well as in the state. We are not concerned. They have no principle. The people will reject them," he said.
 

(PTI)