In an obvious though unspecified reference to Banerjee, Dasmunshi told a public meeting here that it was unfortunate that some had left Congress and supported the `communal' BJP to form a government at the Centre but they could come back at any point of time.

``We are even ready to step down from our posts to facilitate their return,'' he said.

State Congress chief A B A Ghani Chowdhury, who had differences with Dasmunshi on this issue, did not say anything in this regard and largely confined his speech on the price escalation of prices of essential commodities.

Dasmunshi's remarks assumes significance as they came in the wake of a downturn in Trinamool Congress' relations with BJP leading to Mamata's resignation from the coordination committee of the rulingalliance.

Dasmunshi sought to refute Mamata's charge of a nexus between West Bengal's ruling Marxists and state Congress saying it was the CPI-M which, being scared by the rise of the BJP, genuflected to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take a lead to dislodge the Vajpayee Government.

Dasmunshi sought to play down the issue of internal squables in the state Congress. Admitting that there was some occasional misunderstanding in the party, he described Ghani Khan Chowdhury as the seniormost leader in the state Congress and pledged to work unitedly to take on the CPI-M.

Taking a dig at Mamata Banerjee, senior Congress leader Saugata Roy said that if she really cared for the common people who suffered due to price hike, she should withdraw her party's support to the Vajpayee-led government instead of merely resigning from the coordination panel of BJP and its allies.