CALCUTTA, Oct 16: The Trinamool Congress has decided to convene its parliamentary party meeting on October 24th to discuss the issue of joining the Vajpayee Ministry.The issue is likely to figure at the meeting even though the party has already authorised its chairman Mamata Banerjee to take a final decision in this regard, Trinamool spokesman Sudip Bandopadhyay said here today.
Bandopadhyay, who is leaving for Delhi to meet Banerjee who returned late last night after attending the UN General Assembly, said Trinamool was committed to seeing that the Vajpayee Ministry completed its full term. ``Whether we participate in the Government or not, we want the Vajpayee Government to be stable,'' he said.
Insiders say the party would take a final decision on joining the Vajpayee Ministry after seeing the outcome of the Assembly polls in four states slated for November.
Asked if the Trinamool would contest the Assembly election in any of the four states, Bandopadhyay said it would like to contest the electionin Delhi in a token manner. The party has initiated discussion with the BJP towards this, he said.
At the meeting, Bandopadhyay said, the party would also decide the issues to be raised in the Lok Sabha session beginning in November.
High prices and unemployment, he said, were the two major issues to be raised by the party on the floor of the House. Trinamool also wanted the other allies of the BJP-led coalition to raise these issues.
He said his party would also urge the Government to bring the Women's Bill once again in the coming session of Parliament.
Incidentally, Mayurshwar in Birbhum, Baruipur in South 24-Paraganas and Nandanpur in Midnapore will go to by-elections on November 25th.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.