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Having painted herself into a corner over the Eastern Railway bifurcation issue, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is now exploring ways to mend fences with the ruling National Democratic Alliance at the Centre in order to keep her flock together.
Trinamool MPs are reportedly fed up of her style of functioning and worried that it might affect the party's prospects, even during West Bengal panchayat elections scheduled for next year.
Sources said that recently when Banerjee had called a statewide bandh in West Bengal, most of the 11 Trinamool MPs, including two from the Rajya Sabha, were either in New Delhi or stayed away from Kolkata.
This discreet show of dissent gave Banerjee an idea of the discontent in the party regarding her style of functioning.
Sources said Mamata's one time blue-eyed boy Sudip Bandopadhaya is also unhappy with his mentor for preventing him from joining the Union council of ministers and for replacing him with Rajya Sabha member Dineshbhai Trivedi as the spokesperson of the party.
He has been advising Banerjee to join the government rather than support it from outside, and that too, in an unpredictable style.
Banerjee had served an ultimatum of sorts to the NDA to revise its bifurcation decision by August 12.
Depending on the NDA's decision, the Trinamool will chart its future course of action at a meeting of the working committee slated for August 13.
However, some MPs are understood to be considering continuing their support to the ruling National Democratic Alliance at the Centre even if Banerjee decides otherwise, or even joining the government.
With senior leader and Trinamool MP Ajit Panja, who has been suspended from the party for raising the banner of revolt, waiting for an opportunity to wean away some MPs, Banerjee is believed to be desperate to build bridges with the NDA to prevent her party from breaking up.
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