Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening in New Delhi. Sources said Banerjee caught a flight around 3 pm on Wednesday to Delhi, where she will meet Modi at his official residence.
Trinamool Congress insiders claimed that the two will discuss the upcoming Presidential elections besides discussing other issues related to Center-state relations and pending funds from the central government. “During her last interaction with PM Modi in April, she had raised the issue of pending central funds. She will meet him again to follow up on the matter,” a source in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) claimed.
However, sources added that the CM’s meeting with Modi is being closely watched by other opposition parties since it comes close on the heels of the upcoming Presidential elections. “There is a possibility that the two will discuss other issues apart from talking about Central funds. For that issue, secretary-level talks are enough,” a TMC source said, adding that Banerjee was scheduled to meet the PM on Wednesday but had to reschedule due to prior engagements.
During her stay in the national capital, Mamata, along with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, will also call on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday at her 10, Janpath residence.
A source said the three leaders are likely to discuss a consensus candidate for the Presidential polls and also the possibility of a ‘coalition formula’ of non-BJP parties for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when Modi seeks reelection.
On May 16, in a significant move, the West Bengal CM extended her support to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s mega anti-BJP rally in Patna.
“We think that the opposition unity in the Presidential polls will lead to a larger alliance against the BJP ahead of 2019. Didi is likely to agree on former Lok Sabha Speaker Meera Kumar or ex-Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi’s name as the opposition candidate. However, it is still too early to comment any further,” a TMC source said.
NCP Chief Sharad Pawar and JD (U)’s Sharad Yadav are also names doing the rounds as possible candidates. Sonia Gandhi has also held talks with other leaders such as Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, CPI (M)’s Sitaram Yechury and CPI’s D Raja.
The total strength of electoral college for the presidential polls is 11,04,546 votes and the BJP-led NDA’s currently standing is nearly 5.38 lakh votes.
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