Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Congress is under sustained pressure not just from the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) but also from the Trinamool Congress.
Even as Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee is all set to become the Railways Minister, there is a new demand by the party to dismiss the West Bengal state government.
But it is a demand that is unlikely to be accepted.
Mamata is the biggest ally of the Congress in the United Progressive Alliance, with a block of 20 MPs.
But it's not bargaining hard for Cabinet berths, which the next biggest ally DMK is fighting for.
Congress sources say Mamata has been convinced to take the Railways Ministry, though insiders say that she was only waiting to be convinced. Trinamool will have three Ministers of States and three with independent charge.
But New Delhi is not at the centre of the Trinamool's plans. It is Kolkata that the Trinamool wants and it's willing to fall back in the race for Cabinet portfolios for that.
"Our party's main aim is the removal of Left Front government in Kolkata and by 2011 to have a Trinamool Congress coalition to have in place. Ministries have been dismissed before and can be dismissed again. Trinamool Congress will make this demand but it is not a question of bargaining, it is a matter of faith. In 1977 Charan Singh dismissed nine ministries in one go on the ground that those ministries had lost their faith," said Trinamool leader Sougata Roy.
It might be difficult to for the New Selhi to emulate Charan Singh who as the Janata Party home minister in 1977 dismissed all Congress governments.
But the Congress will certainly have offered whatever help it can to get the usually fire-breathing Mamata to fight the Left Front in West Bengal.
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