Trinamool Congress looking forward to contest HP poll

Kolkata, Oct 9: After opening its account in Uttar Pradesh Assembly by-election,

will be looking at a repeat performance in another north Indian state

where the party will be contesting on its own in the Nov 4 Assembly polls, a party leader said on Monday. "Trinamool Congress has decided to contest in some seats on its own strength and symbol in the election to the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly," former Union minister of state for urban development Saugata Roy said.

Roy said the party was yet to finalise how many seats it would contest and noted that the decision to join the fray in the Himalayan state is aimed at extending the party's base outside West Bengal. Roy said their fight in Himachal Pradesh would not remain confined to fighting against Congress but also BJP. "We are opposing the anti-people policies of the UPA government and we will highlight our stand against the Centre in our campaign in Himachal Pradesh too," he said.

Party sources said TMC's All India general secretary Mukul Roy would go to Shimla this week and hold talks in this regard. Trinamool Congress MP KD Singh would also be there along with Roy. TMC opened its account in Uttar Pradesh from Mathura Assembly constituency after its candidate Shyam Sunder Sharma won the seat defeating SP candidate.

The party is likely to highlight its recent withdrawal of support from the UPA on the principled stand of opposition against Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand retail and frequent hikes in fuel prices and fertilizer subsidies. He could not say for certain if Mamata Banerjee would campaign for party candidates in Himachal Pradesh. Outside West Bengal, TMC had five members in the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly (four of whom joined Congress today) and seven in the 60-member Manipur assembly.

PTI