NCP builds bridges as Mamata treads testy waters

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee pays tribute to Tukaram Ombale, the cop who lost his life in the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Amid talk of Congress-mukta Opposition and ahead of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's meetings with the leaders of the NCP and the Shiv Sena in Mumbai, the Congress party has said that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) president was repeating the mistakes that some parties had committed by opposing the grand old party in the past, thus helping the BJP.

Earlier on Tuesday, the NCP stood in support of the ally, saying the opposition front would not be possible without the Congress, and if the Sena and Congress can come together, then, the TMC and the Congress, who are ideologically parallel, should have no problem in joining hands. The NCP further added that the TMC chief should sort out the differences it has with the Congress. The statement is significant as Banerjee is scheduled to meet NCP boss Sharad Pawar on Wednesday during her three-day Mumbai visit beginning Tuesday evening.

‘Victim of incorrect self-assessment'

Criticising the TMC's posturing, Zakir Ahmed, General Secretary, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee and Media Coordinator, said, "Rahul Gandhi ji is fighting the RSS, the BJP, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, while Mamata ji is fighting Rahul Gandhi ji and the Congress. Mamata ji, advertently or inadvertently, is making the mistakes that Mulayam Singh (Samajwadi Party), Mayawati (Bahujan Samaj Party) and others had committed in the past by helping the BJP."

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee visits the Siddhivinayak temple on Tuesday. Pic/Shadab Khan

He added that Banerjee was a victim of incorrect self-assessment. "Mamata ji should get rid of neo politicians like Prashant Kishor if she were to do real politics."

‘No oppn without Congress'

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said Pawar had already said that all opposition parties should come together and the opposition front or alliance was not possible without the Congress.

"We have always tried to work on sorting out the differences between the opposition parties in order to bring them together (against the BJP). There seems to be some disenchantment (between the Congress and TMC), because in Meghalaya some Congress MLAs joined the TMC, which is also expanding its base in Goa. Every party has the right to build up and grow further," said Malik.

Malik added, "The NCP is of the opinion that all opposition parties should come together. If the Sena and the Congress can join hands, the TMC and the Congress, who share ideologies, should have no problem. They should sort out differences."

Before leaving for Mumbai, Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata that she would not be able to meet the Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who is recuperating in the hospital, but his son and cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray would call on her. On Wednesday, she will meet members of civil society and interact with industry captains to invite them to invest in West Bengal. In the evening, she will attend the wedding reception of the Sena MP Sanjay Raut's daughter.

After meeting Banerjee, Aaditya Thackeray said since she couldn't meet his father who is in a bio bubble, he, along with Raut, met her.ferent bond and have been coordinating with each other. We had met Didi even when she was here three years ago. Today's meeting was very good for taking things forward," he said.

After her arrival in the city, Banerjee visited the Siddhivinayak Temple and paid tributes to 26/11 martyr Tukaram Ombale. "I came here to seek Siddhivinayak's blessings and pray for the quick recovery of Uddhavji. I'm happy that the management has made such a good arrangement for the darshan. Jai Maratha, Jai Bangla," she told media persons.