New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) Upset over Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s ruling out imposition of central rule in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress, the second-largest constituent in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, has demanded “due weightage” to its stand.
Party MPs will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday to discuss the matter.

“We are a partner of the ruling coalition. Due weightage should be give to us,” party leader Kalyan Banerjee told IANS here Thursday adding that the matter would be raised when the party MPs, led by Mamata Banerjee, meet the prime minister.

According to sources in the party, they were not happy with Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s statement before the central team’s visit to West Bengal that it was intending to assist the state government maintain law and order and not to invoke Article 356 (Provisions in case of failure of constitutional machinery in States), which entails dismissal of the state government and imposition of president’s rule.

Amidst the Trinamool Congress’s demand for president’s rule in the state, Chidambaram had said: “There is no scope for invoking Article 356.”

Trinamool Congress leaders alleged that most of the central government’s decisions regarding West Bengal are in favour of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front government.

Trinamool leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said his party wanted an assurance from the prime minister that the opposition parties in West Bengal could function with dignity and freedom.

“Parliamentary democracy is on the verge of collapse in West Bengal,” he claimed.