New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress strategy of opposing the UPA candidate has raised a question mark over its continuance in the Congress-led coalition. The fate of Trinamool, which has 19 members in the Lok Sabha and is the second largest constituent of the UPA, hangs in the balance with her strident assertion that APJ Abdul Kalam will be the party's candidate for the Presidential poll even after the UPA chose Pranab Mukherjee.
Though Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that she would not quit the UPA on her own and it was for the Congress to decide on that, observers feel that her party's continuance may become untenable if she persists with her opposition to Mukherjee.
However, Congress appeared conciliatory with party leader in-charge of West Bengal Shakeel Ahmed saying no decision would be taken in haste.
He was responding when referred to the demand by the Congress unit of the state that ties with Mamata should be snapped.
Ahmed was still hopeful that Mamata, as Chief Minister of the state, will take the lead in supporting Mukherjee, "the father figure of Congress in the state".
Mamata's party has been the most troublesome ally of the UPA and has blocked several reforms measures like FDI in multi-brand retail, pension bill and increase in railway passenger fares.
The Trinamool Congress and the Congress, which share power in West Bengal, have been having an uneasy relationship in the state.
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