Despite some Congress leaders flaying the "overbearing" attitude of ally Trinamool Congress, West Bengal Congress President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday projected TC Chief Mamata Banerjee as chief minister in the event of the combine coming to power after 2011 assembly polls.
Mukherjee also
emphasised the "timeliness" of the tie-up saying, "it is a gilt-edged chance to dethrone the Left Front from power in West Bengal."
"It is very timely. It should not be allowed to be wasted," Mukherjee said on the concluding day of the party's 'chintan shibir' here in Nadia district organised to formulate political strategy for the 2011 elections.
Later, Mukherjee told reporters that the party had earlier too forged an alliance with the Trinamool Congress in the 2001 assembly election, projecting Mamata as the chief ministerial candidate.
"The leader of the largest partner in a state (Trinamool Congress) becomes the chief minister. This is nothing new," he said.
Meanwhile party strongman Adhir Chowdhury, MP, pointed out to Trinamool's "highhandedness" in seat arrangement in earlier elections, but readily agreed to Mukherjee's contention of Mamata being projected as the chief ministerial candidate.
MP Deepa Dasmunshi said they needed the alliance alright, but not at the cost of the party's grassroot organisations.
"We are ready to sacrifice for the sake of the alliance, but we are not ready to allow the Congress to be destroyed," Dasmunshi, wife of ailing former Union minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, said.