'Sad' Congress relieved at Didi's exit from UPA

With an assurance that there is no immediate threat to the survival of the UPA government, the Congress is palpably relieved that the Trinamool Congress is 'finally quitting' the alliance. “For the last three years, the government has only suffered humiliation at her hands, and though we are sad that an alliance partner is leaving, we cannot deny that it offers a big relief,” said an AICC functionary who has been dealing with her on a regular basis.

This feeling of relief has surfaced after party managers overcame the initial shock of Banerjee's decision to withdraw support. “We are reconciled to the situation after all she was not one of those allies on whom you can depend in difficult situations,” the functionary said.

In the last 48 hours, the UPA managers have been assured of the survival of the government as other parties have not endorsed TMC's stand.

Clearly, the UPA is banking on the divide in the political spectrum that does not allow all the outfits to be seen as making a common cause with each other on any issue.

Having reached a point of no return in their negotiations with the TMC, Congress managers were actually waiting for Mamata's ministers to submit their resignations so that the process of giving the final touches to the ministerial reshuffle could be completed.
With six vacancies to be created as a consequence, it is a certainty that Deepa Dasmunsi, wife of former Union minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi will find a ministerial berth.