Bengal poll effect? TMC tears into Cong on Agusta case in Rajya Sabha

The Trinamool Congress swung a surprise in Rajya Sabha on Monday when its MPs Derek O' Brien and Sukhendu Shekhar Ray led the charge against Congress on the Agusta Westland Issue instead of the usual suspects - BJP or Subaramanium Swamy. While the party had been silent in the first, TMC went into hyperdrive on Monday demanding an immediate response from the treasury benches.

Though the treasury benches were silent, their delight at the discomfiture of the Congress was clearly visible.

Sukhendu Shekhar Ray demanded instant response from Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to all the allegations being levelled. The animosity between the Congress and the Trinamool was quite evident in Ray's discussion. He had also been given a notice in the House about a discussion. Despite that he continued his verbal assault, prompting the Rajya Sabha chairman to ask him to leave the House under rule 255.

This breaking of ranks with the opposition by TMC had the treasury benches smiling even though they were also under the fire from Mamata's party. But the real target was the Congress. Interestingly, while the Congress was keen to raise the issue of the Gujarat State Petrochemical Corporation, the TMC was not on board.

According to senior Congress leaders, the heat and dust of West Bengal elections is finding its way into the Rajya Sabha. Rahul Gandhi praising the Left apart, sharing the stage with former Chief Minister Budhadeb Bhattacharya and Congress fielding fiery neta Deepa Dasmunshi against Mamata Banerjee has not gone down too well with the TMC.

The Congress feels that post Sharada and Narada scams, there has been some sort of match fixing between the BJP and Trinamool Congress.

Congress had been proud of cobbling up a unified opposition in the Upper House. With the numbers it had successfully managed to veto important legislations of the BJP. But now, with this latest assault by TMC, the opposition unity looks under serious threat.

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