Certain leaders in the Mamata Banerjee camp yesterday sought to deny that Congress leader Sharad Pawar had asked for their reaction in case Jyoti Basu was made the Prime Minister.
Sudip Bandopadhyay, MLA and a close confidant of Youth Congress chief, Banerjee, categorically said that Pawar had never asked such a question.
Bandopadhyay was present during the meeting between Pawar and Banerjee, but she was quoted in the newspapers saying that she would resign if the Congress supported a move to instal Basu as Prime Minister.
On the other hand, Pawar had said any attempt by the Congress to form the government or to join the UF ministry would be suicidal for the party. Pawar had even said in that case the prospect of the Congress would be jeopardised in a number of states, according to Bandhopadhyay. Stating that leaders owing allegiance to Banerjee fully endorsed this view, he quoted Pawar, the leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, saying that the party should pressurise the government in Parliament to fulfil the common minimum programme. Speculation was rife in political circles over Pawars stay in the city, during which he met both the rival factions, led by WBPCC chief Somen Mitra and Banerjee. Pawar, who came with the Prime Minister on Saturday to participate in the diamond jubilee celebration of Rastrabhasa Prachar Samity, had stayed back in the city.
