New Delhi, Jan 6: Congress appears to be buying time with Mamata Banerjee till the assembly elections in five states, including UP, are completed, by asserting there is "no rift" with the ally despite the recent acrimony.
Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi today said "nobody is denying that there are differences of opinion. Such difference of opinion are not irreconcilable....To try to act like 'Narad muni' to provoke and to create a provocative atmosphere is not right."
"We are allies. There is nothing which cannot be sorted out through talks. Sometimes it is time consuming," Singhvi said when asked about the long rope the Congress planned to give to the West Bengal Chief Minister.
A senior party leader, who declined to be identified, said that the party was awaiting the outcome in the five states which could increase its maneuverability inside the UPA as also in the Rajya Sabha. The ruling alliance is in a minority in the Upper House.
"We are not perverse or unreasonable with Mamata on any issue, be it the sharing of Teesta waters, the FDI in retail or the Lokpal bill," he said, adding that "no ally could have a veto".
Another party leader said that the Congress' reaction should not be seen as a sign of weakness. Party leaders say that it was open to do business with the Samajwadai Party having 22 Lok Sabha members after the UP polls to marginalise the Trinamool Congress which has 18 MPs.
