Trinamool MPs likely to meet PM on petrol price hike

Trinamool Congress MPs are likely to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi on November 8 against the backdrop of the UPA ally's threat to pull out of the government on the petrol price rise issue.

"After a talk with the Prime Minister, we will return here on November 9 and report to party supremo Mamata Banerjee who will take the final call," Chief Whip of Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay told PTI today.

"I have sent a letter to the PMO seeking an appointment on November 8. I am expecting that the appointment will be fixed on November 8 since the PMO told me that he (Singh) will be abroad on November 9", said Bandyopadhyay, also a Union minister.

He said he would leave for Delhi tomorrow and other MPs would reach the capital on November 8. Trinamool Congress has 18 members in the Lok Sabha.

The TC parliamentary party has already authorised the party chief to take the decision in the matter after they decided on November 4 to pull out of the government if there was no rollback.

Bandyopadhyya said, "We'll express our concern to the prime minister. There is a huge lack of co-ordination among the constituents in the UPA. No meeting is held with the allies before taking policy decisions. We want to express our sentiments to the prime minister.

"We are a pro-people party. Fuel prices were hiked 11 times in 12 months," he said.