Hours after state-owned oil companies increased the price of petrol for the second time in less than two months,Mamata Banerjee summoned top party colleagues to an emergency meeting in Kolkata,apparently to decide on delivering a pullout threat to the UPA government. The Trinamool has 18 members in the Lok Sabha and is,along with the DMK,the Congresss largest partner in the UPA. Petrol prices went up by Rs 1.82 per litre with effect from Thursday midnight. The increase in prices the fifth this year came on a day food inflation was announced to have risen dangerously to 12.21 per cent for the week ended October 22. Petrol is now Rs 68.84/litre in Delhi,Rs 73.71 in Mumbai,Rs 71.98 in Kolkata. Several MPs who will attend tomorrows parliamentary party meeting said Banerjee had sounded serious about pressuring the UPA to roll back the hike. There was strong buzz among party rank and file that she might push the envelope and threaten to pull out of the coalition. All MPs are rushing back to Kolkata to attend the meeting, said an MP. Increases in fuel price have embarrassed Banerjee as the CPM has attacked the centre for burdening the common man. Banerjee is known for her populism,in ample evidence in her approach to rail fares as union minister or power tariff in Bengal. When cooking gas prices were raised,she had announced that her government would waive the Rs 16 cess on cylinders,despite the drain on state resources. She has repeatedly protested the increase in prices of petroleum products.
