Congress not to quit ministry in West Bengal: Pradip Bhattacharya

Congress today said it would not quit from ministry in West Bengal despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stating that it was free to leave the alliance, stressing that it would remain in the government as long as the people desired.

"We are not in the ministry to satisfy anyone's will, but we are there to fulfil people's wishes," West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Pradip Bhattacharya told PTI.

Referring to chief minister Mamata Banerjee's outburst that the Congress was free to quit, Bhattacharya said "what she has said is very clear to us. We are not here at anyone's mercy."

Stating that the Congress and Trinamool Congress had fought the Assembly elections together and the latter benefited from it, the WBPCC chief said "the Trinamool Congress has also got thousands of Congress votes in seats where it won."

"We are in the ministry to fulfil the desires of the people who voted for us and on direction of our party High Command," he said.

"We will remain in the ministry as long as the people desires," he said.