Kolkata, June 18 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress Monday described as "untrue" reports that its central government ministers have handed over their resignation letters to party chief Mamata Banerjee, but said they were prepared to leave the United Progressive Alliance if they were unwanted.
Briefing media persons after a meeting of party MPs and legislators, Trinamool parliamentary party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay also said they would try to convince former president A.P.J. Kalam to change his decision not to contest the polls for the top job.
"Some television channels are saying that the Trinamool ministers in the central government have handed over their resignation to Mamata Banerjee. There is no truth in this. We don't want to cause the fall of the UPA government. We have not taken any such decision," Bandopadhyay said.
However, he said all ministers were "mentally" ready to put in their papers if the situation went to that extent. "If the (UPA) government feels we are staying in the government forcibly, our ministers will not be found wanting in taking the proper decision."
Backing Banerjee's decision to pitch for Kalam, Bandopadhyay said: "We still feel that the decision to nominate A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for the post of president was a right decision. We still believe that Kalam is the best person for the job.
"There are still many days left... we will try to convince him. But if he sticks to his decision then we will again sit for discussions with our MPs and MLAs and will decide the next course of action," he said.
Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Monday announced that he has decided not to contest the presidential election after studying "the totality of the matter".
Banerjee and Trinamool Congress were left red-faced after Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had initially supported the Trinamool leader's nominees, last Friday did a U-turn, and announced he would support UPA's candidate Pranab Mukherjee as the country's president.
But an unfazed Banerjee remained firm on her stand to support Kalam.
