Didigiri

UPA ally Trinamool Congress voted against a key bill in Lok Sabha that prompted an embarrassed government to immediately take it up with party chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee, however, had warned during her visit to Delhi that her party was not in favour of the Medical Council of India (MCI) amendment bill that the government was bringing. The move is being seen as one of those pinpricks by the party that should be expected till the time the Centre decides to give in to Banerjee’s demand to bail out West Bengal from its debt burden.  The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2012 sought to extend the tenure of the MCI board of governors till May 2013 as its tenure was coming to end on May 14. The bill was later passed with 100 votes in favour and 57 against after BJD member Tathagata Satpathy sought a division. The Left and BJD MPs had staged a walkout. It is learnt that Trinamool members were not in favour of the bill and some of them had even been telling the media on condition of anonymity that they will be opposing it.    Minister of state for health and Trinamool leader Sudip Bandopadhyay was not present in the House when the government bill was being discussed. 
A minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, however, said that though TMC members had opposed a number of measures in the past also, there was a general acceptance that they would not vote against a bill.    With the bill coming to Rajya Sabha in the same session, a repeat of Monday’s action by the ally could be a major embarrassment for the government. Sources said the government has told Banerjee about its concern.    The Trinamool chief is learnt to have assured the government that she will look into it.Though her party is unlikely to vote in favour of the bill even in Rajya Sabha, the government is of the view that the party can either abstain from voting or stage a walkout.