Notwithstanding the failure of alliance with Congress for the civic polls in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her party would be in the UPA government at the Centre as long as "we get the minimum respect".
"We are in the UPA government. We will be there till we get the minimum respect and till we are forced out of the coalition," Banerjee said while kicking off her party's election campaign at Shymanbazar here.
Trinamool Congress was in the UPA government on the basis of its own strength, she said.
Confining herself mainly to CPI-M bashing, the Railway minister said if the Marxists were defeated in the ensuing civic election, Assembly polls in the state would be held within three months.
"You don't have to wait till 2011" (when Assembly poll is due).
"We want to drive out the CPI-M. It is our political fight. We will not surrender to the CPI-M," she asserted.