TMC upbeat about being recognised soon as a national party

Kolkata, Mar 9: Encouraged by its performance in the just-held Manipur Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress said it was moving closer to being recognised as a national party.

To become a national party, a political outfit has to get recognised as a state party in at least four states and the TMC has earned that tag in three states, Mukul Roy, all India general secretary of the party, said.

"We are moving towards becoming a national party.After Manipur, the Trinamool Congress has the distinction of being recognised as a state party in three states, the other two being West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh," Roy, a close aide of Mamata Banerjee told agencies.

While in West Bengal, he pointed out, the party had bagged 185 out of 294 seats, in Arunachal Pradesh it secured five seats out of 60.

TMC, a new entrant to Manipur politics, will become the main opposition party in the 60-member House by virtue of winning seven seats.

Asked if the party was hoping to achieve the national status after the Assembly election in Tripura in 2013, he said there would be elections in some states prior to Tripura.

He said that newly-elected party legislators in Manipur would make a 'courtesy call' on party supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday.

On whether party MLAs in Manipur would press for withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in operation in the state, Roy said, "Party MLAs there would work in accordance with commitments made in the election manifesto."

PTI