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This time it is going to be my turn and the next time you can have your chance. This is the formulation that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is working towards for the ensuing Rajya Sabha elections in Bengal in March 2008.

In the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly, the Trinamool has only 30 MLAs and the Congress 27 MLAs. For a candidate to win in the Rajya Sabha elections, he has to get the votes of at least 47 MLAs.

But since none of the two main Opposition parties have the requisite number, the only way they can send a candidate to the Upper House is by uniting on the floor of the House and voting for a common candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections.

Mamata is pondering on this unity formula as the term of her Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Trivedi is expiring on March 2008. And with Mamata likely to re-nominate Dinesh Trivedi for a second term in the Rajya Sabha, she has to get the support of 27 Congress MLAs to send him to the Upper House.

"Mamata’s political pragmatism lies in giving the Congress a formula that would also benefit them in sending their candidate to the Rajya Sabha once the turn comes. So Mamata’s suggestion is support Dinesh and she will support the Congress nominee in the next Rajya Sabha elections due two years after the 2008 poll for the Upper House," said a Mamata confidant.

But Mamata doesn’t want to comment on this formula at this stage. She believes that the Rajya Sabha elections would set the mood for the possible tie-up with the Congress for the panchayats and municipal elections due in May 2008.

"Everything is possible in politics. But I don’t want to comment on this now. However, I want to say that despite having only 30 MLAs in the House we will contest the Rajya Sabha election next year," said Mamata.

The Congress decision to go with Mamata in the Rajya Sabha would entirely depend on AICC president Sonia Gandhi. Mamata has already opened communication channel with Sonia. What’s more, to drive home her candidate she is also going to pursue the matter with Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Union I&B Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi.

Mamata has her job cut out for the Rajya Sabha elections. One, Mamata has to convince Sonia not to field an official AICC candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections and secondly, she has to muster the support of the 27 Congress MLAs who their loyalty to the former PCC chief and MLA Somen Mitra.

"It is unlikely that Somen would do anything against the official party line. Somen had once orchestrated cross voting in the Rajya Sabha elections 2001. And in the process by going against the party candidate Arjun Sengupta, he had fallen from Sonia’s grace. So this time, he would only help Mamata if Sonia desires so," said a senior Congress Legislature Party leader.

However, Mamata has made up her mind that if the Congress supports her candidate in the Rajya Sabha, she would support the re-election of Arjun Sengupta in the Upper House. And this would happen before the next Assembly elections 2011.

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