Cong ready to talk to TMC, but stays firm on reforms

The Congress party seemed reconciled on Tuesday to staying the course for the remainder of its term with outside support from the SP and the BSP even as it said it was inclined to hold talks with the Trinamool Congress until TMC ministers resign from the central government.

While Congress sources maintained that the party could discuss and address the TMC's concerns over the diesel price increase and the number of subsidised LPG cylinders "to some extent", the FDI policy remained non-negotiable.

Shortly after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her party would quit the UPA if her demands are not met, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma told The Indian Express that there was no possibility of any rollback of the decision on FDI in multi-brand retail and the government would actually go ahead and notify it.

"No, there is no question (of rollback). We had consulted everyone before taking the decision. Even Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said that it is good that it has been left to the states to implement it. I spoke to Mamata thrice. As per her wishes, we left it to the states. A decision has been made and we are going to notify it. We have acted in the larger national interest. It is good for farmers, consumers and small and medium enterprises," Sharma said.

Another senior UPA minister said that he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before Banerjee announced her decision and Singh told him there was no chance of going back on the new reform measures even if Trinamool pulled out as a turnaround would damage the credibility of the government.

The position was clearly backed by the Congress party. "FDI decision was taken in national interest fully knowing its political fall out. I hope Govt would stand firm as it did in nuclear deal," Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh tweeted.

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