Calcutta, Oct. 16: A day after the state Congress distanced itself from Mamata Banerjee citing its national compulsion, the Trinamul Congress today left it to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take a decision on a joint movement on the Tata Motors project at Singur.

“We are optimistic about the Congress joining forces with us to protect the interest of poor farmers in Bengal,” former Trinamul MP Ajit Panja said this afternoon. “Soniaji is a great leader and we believe that she will take a judicious decision considering the ground reality in the state,” he added.

The state Congress at a secretariat meeting yesterday had adopted a resolution voicing its objection to Trinamul’s BJP links and decided not to dilute its “ideological commitment to secularism”.

When contacted, Margaret Alva, AICC general, in charge of Bengal, today reiterated it was not possible to tie up with Mamata until she snapped her ties with the BJP.

“However, I shall discuss the matter with state Congress leaders, including PCC working president Pradip Bhattacharya, who have arrived in New Delhi for a discussion. But Soniaji will have to take a final decision,” Alva said.

AICC sources said the Congress would give more time to Mamata to consider severing ties with the BJP. “We do hope that Mamata, realising BJP’s negligible presence in Bengal, will definitely come out of the NDA in the near future,” said an AICC leader.

Mamata, now recuperating at her Kalighat residence, said: “I am not in a position to meet you at this juncture. But we must continue our movement across the state against the CPM.”

Tata team talks

In Delhi, Congress leader Priya Ranjan Das Munshi today met a delegation of Tata group executives to discuss Singur.

“Both sides expressed their viewpoints but there was no meeting ground,” Das Munshi said after the meeting.

“Neither I nor my party is against the Tatas working in the state. Rather, we are very proud of Ratan Tata. Our objection is against the use of fertile land for industry,” the minister added.

Das Munshi told the Tata team he has to discuss the land issue with the high command. “But the minister made it clear there was no question of withdrawing from the agitation,” a source said.