NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Trinamool boss Mamata Banerjee's emissary, West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra has reached the Capital for a crucial round of talks with the Union finance ministry on a financial package for his state, a dialogue that may have significant bearing on Pranab Mukherjee's aspirations for Rashtrapati Bhawan. Mitra's travel plans were finalized amid indications that Mamata, who has been insisting on a central financial package as a condition for supporting Congress's nominee in the Presidential polls, has stepped up her opposition to Mukherjee's candidature, whittling down the advantage that the veteran finance minister seemed to hold in the race for Rashtrapati Bhawan. Mukherjee, who was in West Bengal, cut short his engagements in his home state to return to the Capital on Sunday afternoon. The talks between West Bengal and the Centre over the financial package have been stalemated, with Mukherjee maintaining that rules bar him for providing special treatment to any state; that too when it does not have cash to spare. In fact, even on Sunday, Mukherjee had cited Centre's inability to help West Bengal with a financial package. According to an agency report, the senior Congressman told a rally in Khargram that the Centre's hands were tied by the increase in prices of petroleum products and fertilizers because of unrest in Syria and Turkey. However, Mamata has disregarded the constraints cited by the Centre, remorselessly piling pressure on the Centre to provide funds to West Bengal and making it clear that her response to Mukherjee's candidature will be shaped by what the latter does with the package. Ironically, it was Mamata who boosted Mukherjee's candidature by opposing Vice-President Hamid Ansari, another candidate on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's list for Rashtrapati Bhawan, on grounds of his perceived proximity to her arch political foes, the Left. SP boss Mulayam Singh Yadav also came to Mukherjee's help by criticizing the practice of appointing retired bureaucrats to constitutional positions: a stance which was seen as aimed against Ansari, a career diplomat. However, the Trinamool boss stopped well short of supporting Mukherjee, defying the estimate that she, for all her differences with the union minister, will find it difficult to block the prospect of a fellow Bengali ascending the top constitutional position. In fact, there are indications that she has moved from being non-committal to Mukherjee to opposing his candidature, maintaining that a Bengali who cannot use his formidable influence at the Centre to help out his home state should expect no special consideration. That she is unrelenting was evident when Congress leaders on Sunday used the "son-of-the-soil" pitch to appeal to her to support Mukherjee. Besides causing a setback to Mukherjee, Trinamool boss's opposition has put a spanner in Congress's works. The party leadership does not want to offend Mamata to avoid becoming vulnerable to Mulayam Singh Yadav whom it sees as fickle. Mulayam's growing wishlist has already alerted the Centre about what dependence on SP chief, known for shrewd bargaining, might mean. A direct deal with SP will also force BSP to move away, putting an end to the delicate ambiguity which helps Congress to draw support from both the UP outfits. That was the reason why Congress on Saturday rushed out to scotch media reports which had claimed that Congress had decided to field Mukherjee in the Presidential contest. The reports could not have pleased Mamata. To compound matters for the Congress, Mukherjee has made it plain that he will not take kindly to another "no" to his wish to be President. Sources close to the stalwart, who was passed over five years ago ostensibly because of his indispensability, see the recourse to the same argument as a ruse they are determined not to be taken in by yet again: something that may leave Congress vulnerable to the prospect of detachment and unhappiness, even dissidence, right at the top.

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Trinamool boss Mamata Banerjee's emissary, West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra has reached the Capital for a crucial round of talks with the Union finance ministry on a financial package for his state, a dialogue that may have significant bearing on Pranab Mukherjee's aspirations for Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Mitra's travel plans were finalized amid indications that Mamata, who has been insisting on a central financial package as a condition for supporting Congress's nominee in the Presidential polls, has stepped up her opposition to Mukherjee's candidature, whittling down the advantage that the veteran finance minister seemed to hold in the race for Rashtrapati Bhawan. Mukherjee, who was in West Bengal, cut short his engagements in his home state to return to the Capital on Sunday afternoon.

The talks between West Bengal and the Centre over the financial package have been stalemated, with Mukherjee maintaining that rules bar him for providing special treatment to any state; that too when it does not have cash to spare.

In fact, even on Sunday, Mukherjee had cited Centre's inability to help West Bengal with a financial package. According to an agency report, the senior Congressman told a rally in Khargram that the Centre's hands were tied by the increase in prices of petroleum products and fertilizers because of unrest in Syria and Turkey.

However, Mamata has disregarded the constraints cited by the Centre, remorselessly piling pressure on the Centre to provide funds to West Bengal and making it clear that her response to Mukherjee's candidature will be shaped by what the latter does with the package.

Ironically, it was Mamata who boosted Mukherjee's candidature by opposing Vice-President Hamid Ansari, another candidate on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's list for Rashtrapati Bhawan, on grounds of his perceived proximity to her arch political foes, the Left. SP boss Mulayam Singh Yadav also came to Mukherjee's help by criticizing the practice of appointing retired bureaucrats to constitutional positions: a stance which was seen as aimed against Ansari, a career diplomat.

However, the Trinamool boss stopped well short of supporting Mukherjee, defying the estimate that she, for all her differences with the union minister, will find it difficult to block the prospect of a fellow Bengali ascending the top constitutional position.

In fact, there are indications that she has moved from being non-committal to Mukherjee to opposing his candidature, maintaining that a Bengali who cannot use his formidable influence at the Centre to help out his home state should expect no special consideration.

That she is unrelenting was evident when Congress leaders on Sunday used the "son-of-the-soil" pitch to appeal to her to support Mukherjee.

Besides causing a setback to Mukherjee, Trinamool boss's opposition has put a spanner in Congress's works. The party leadership does not want to offend Mamata to avoid becoming vulnerable to Mulayam Singh Yadav whom it sees as fickle.

Mulayam's growing wishlist has already alerted the Centre about what dependence on SP chief, known for shrewd bargaining, might mean. A direct deal with SP will also force BSP to move away, putting an end to the delicate ambiguity which helps Congress to draw support from both the UP outfits.

That was the reason why Congress on Saturday rushed out to scotch media reports which had claimed that Congress had decided to field Mukherjee in the Presidential contest. The reports could not have pleased Mamata.

To compound matters for the Congress, Mukherjee has made it plain that he will not take kindly to another "no" to his wish to be President. Sources close to the stalwart, who was passed over five years ago ostensibly because of his indispensability, see the recourse to the same argument as a ruse they are determined not to be taken in by yet again: something that may leave Congress vulnerable to the prospect of detachment and unhappiness, even dissidence, right at the top.

Click here for more details