He said Mamata’s credibility as an ally was clear when she did not support the NDA’s Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates in 2007, and abstained from voting during the no-confidence motion over the Indo-US Nuclear Deal in 2008.

“These are clear indications that Mamata is willing to dissociate herself from the NDA. Our experiment with seat-sharing paid off well in the by-elections to Bishnupur (West), Nandigram and Sujapur Assembly seats. We won all three,” Mukherjee said.

Banerjee, on her part, spoke of a “special bond” with Mukherjee. “I am sentimental about Pranabda. He came to my campaign in 1984, when I won for the first time. We will support the Congress at the Centre if it comes to power again. It is necessary to defeat the Left, who are hypocrites and have double standards,” she said.