Sonia gives nod to talks with Mamata

Sonia gives nod to talks with Mamata
SANJIV SINHA

NEW DELHI, MARCH 25: The Congress on Saturday has decided to initiate formal seat-sharing talks with Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee for the coming Assembly elections in West Bengal. The formal go-ahead for beginning negotiations with Mamata was given by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi here after she was briefed by West Bengal Parliamentary Congress Committee (PCC) chief Pranab Mukherjee on the changed political situation in the state.

Sonia has also asked senior Congress leader and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary-in-charge of West Bengal, Kamal Nath to lead the party’s negotiating team in hammering out a seat-sharing adjustment with Mamata. Nath has been in touch with Mamata ever since he became general secretary-in-charge of West Bengal last month and, unlike Pranab Mukherjee, is known to share a good rapport with her. The choice also fell on Nath because Mamata had indicated her preference for talking directly to the Congress’ central leadership rather than dealing with the state unit.

Nath told The Indian Express on Saturday night that the PCC had decided to pursue a dialogue with Trinamool for a strategic electoral adjustment to defeat the Left Front in West Bengal, following Mamata’s exit from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). ‘‘As long as the Trinamool was a part of the NDA Government, there was no question of the Congress having any alliance with it. However, the situation has changed dramatically after Mamata severed her links with the BJP,’’ he said.

Congress party sources said that efforts were also on to arrange a summit meeting between party chief Sonia Gandhi and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to hasten the moves for an alliance between the two parties. An invitation to Mamata is likely to be extended soon and the meeting may crystallise soon after Sonia returns from her foreign trip, the sources said.

The Congress has all along expressed its willingness to ally with Mamata and project her as their chief ministerial candidate, as long as she severs her ties with the BJP. Though Mamata has walked out of the NDA, the Congress is still waiting for her to clear the air on the ‘‘ambiguous’’ status of her electoral alliance with the BJP in the state.

Congress leaders here feel that a one-to-one Sonia-Mamata meeting will not only serve to cement the alliance, but will also go a long way in clearing the misgivings the Trinamool chief has over the intentions and seriousness of the Congress to fight the Left Front in West Bengal. They point to the ‘‘reassurance exercise’’ undertaken by Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee when he not only called on Mamata’s ageing mother, but also touched her feet as a mark of respect during his visit to Kolkata last year.

The coming together of Congress and Trinamool promises to boost the former in its attempts to unite like-minded parties to take on NDA government at the Centre.

‘Anti-Left front alive’

Kolkata:Trying to put an end to the raging speculation about the fate of the Trinamool Congress’ alliance with the BJP and the Congress, Mamata Banerjee on Saturday reiterated her old stand that all anti-CPI(M) forces must unite. Mamata has denied any stalemate on the issue of alliance with the BJP. ‘‘We’re still for giving a 1:1 fight to the CPI(M), the Bangla Bachao Front is still alive,’’ she said. ‘‘We appeal to all anti-CPI(M) forces to join hands to oust the Left Front in West Bengal.’’

ENS