Congress open to idea of UPA coordination committee: Abhishek Singhvi

Amid escalating tensions with Mamata Banerjee's party, Congress today said it was open to the idea of a UPA coordination committee to bring greater cohesion within the alliance.

At the same time, it dismissed suggestions that Congress was scared of any party entering poll fray in Uttar Pradesh or any other state.

Trinamool Congress has fielded a large number of candidates in the Hindi state.

To a question on whether Congress feels the need of setting up a UPA coordination committee in the present circumstances, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, "We are not ruling it out but we are also not ruling it in. What you are saying is certainly open."

He, however, said that the idea has to be first thought over by the Congress President and the party high command as well as by the allies. Singhvi said this does not pertain to any particular case. "But it is not particular to say anything right now as no such decision has been taken on it," he added.

On a day when the war of words has only become hotter between the West Bengal unit of the Congress and Banerjee's party, Singhvi advised restraint on the issue to all stakeholders and downplayed the differences.

"These things do happen in a coalition arrangement. We urge all the concerned stakeholders not to react over-aggressively and in a provocative atmosphere," he said.

Maintaining that disagreements are part of the coalition arrangement, the Congress spokesperson stressed "but these things are eventually sorted out as long as the allies consider the coalition valuable."