Congress plans no-trust against Mamata govt

In a tit-for-tat, the West Bengal Congress may also move a no-confidence motion in the state Assembly against the Mamata Banerjee government. The Winter Session of the state Assembly will begin on Friday and a final decision on the matter is likely to be taken in the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting. The Left Front said that it will seek floor coordination with the Congress in the state Assembly. The Congress, however, said that it was not interested. The Congress quit the coalition government in the state after Ms Banerjee pulled out of the UPA government in September on the FDI issue. On Friday, the Congress will be for the first time occupying the Opposition benches in the state Assembly. State Congress spokesperson Abdul Mannan said that a party needed 30 MLAs in the 294-member Assembly to bring a no-confidence motion although he did not confirm that his party was planning to move the motion. The Congress has 38 MLAs. The state Congress leaders have intensified their attacks against the state government after Ms Banerjee dumped the UPA. The party had been particularly peeved by Ms Banerjee’s futile attempt to move a no-trust vote in Lok Sabha. “A party needs the support of 50 MPs to move a no-trust motion in the Lok Sabha. The Trinamul Congress had only 19 MPs but it went ahead and sought support from both the BJP and the Left. It is another matter that neither party supported Mamata Banerjee,” Mr Mannan added. He did not spell it out but the Congress was now eager for a revenge.