Trinamool had threatened to snap ties with the Congress after the last round of price hike some months ago and is learnt to be closely watching the government’s moves regarding a fresh hike.

“We are against disturbing the common man with price rise. We have made it clear that we are against hikes in the prices of petrol, diesel, LPG, etc,” said Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a close aide of Mamata Banerjee. “As for the future hike, we are yet to take a stand on it.”

After the last price hike in November, Mamata had threatened the government with dire consequences for causing “inconvenience to the common man”. It was only after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met the Trinamool MPs that she was pacified.

Though Trinamool leaders concede there is an overall “stabilisation in agriculture inflation” — so a hike may not hurt the poor — but a Rs 2 hike will certainly hurt the middle class, the party’s main urban constituency.

But for now, the Trinamool is keeping its cards close to the chest. “As and when fuel prices increase we will have a meeting and decide on it,” said Mukul Roy, the party’s general secretary.