Mamata Banerjee's anti-BJP front with Cong takes shape: Top 10 developments
West Bengal Chief Minister and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and made it clear that the Congress was a must for any one-on-one fight with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and that the Opposition party could not be excluded from any anti-BJP alliance in the Lok Sabha elections 2019. Meanwhile, hitting back at the TMC supremo over incidents of violence during the Ram Navami processions in West Bengal, the BJP said that while the West Bengal Chief Minister's state was "burning", she was "doing politics" in the national capital. Here are the top 10 developments around Mamata Banerjee's efforts to forge a political alliance including the Congress and AAP against the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections 2019: 1) Mamata Banerjee hopes for a Congress victory in Karnataka election 2018: Having met Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee said that she hoped for the Congress to win in the Karnataka Assembly elections 2018. "We want a strong political party in any region to take on the BJP one-on-one, so that it is ousted," she said.
2) Mamata Banerjee says Congress needed for a one-on-one fight with BJP: Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday made it clear that the Congress cannot be left out from an antiBJP alliance in the Lok Sabha polls 2019 in which parties that are dominant in a state will take the lead in putting up a one-on-one fight against the BJP. 3) Mamata Banerjee says she's always had a 'good relationship' with Sonia: Praising Sonia Gandhi, Banerjee said that the UPA Chairperson is a senior leader of the country and that she continues to play a role in its politics. 4) Mamata pitches for Lalu and Congress in Bihar, Akhilesh and Mayawati in UP: Mamata Banerjee has envisioned a federal front against the BJP across the nation. The TMC supremo said: "...In Bihar, (RJD chief) Laluji (Prasad) and Congress will fight together. In Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh and Mayawatiji should do it." 5) Mamata Banerjee meets Arvind Kejriwal: In her efforts to forge a broad coalition of political forces for a one-to-one fight with the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls 2019, Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal, who met Banerjee for about half-an-hour, did not speak to the media about the meeting. 6) Shatrughan Sinha and Yashwant Sinha say they met Banerjee 'to save the country': Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday got the backing of BJP rebels Shatrughan Sinha, Yashwant Sinha, and Arun Shourie for her efforts to forge a broad coalition of forces against the BJP. The BJP rebels expressed their support for her endeavours. 7) Shourie hails Mamata, says Modi is 'very tired': Shourie hailed Banerjee's push for a one-on-one contest against the BJP across states in the 2019 elections. "If this one-toone formula is adopted, the Opposition parties start with 69 per cent of the votes. 8) Mamata opposes Modi government's Air India stake sale: Mamata Banerjee also opposed Modi government's move to disinvest its stake in Air India. Further, TMC leader Derek O'Brien questioned the decision, saying that a parliamentary panel was still examining the issue. 9) BJP says Mamata Banerjee akin to Nero: The BJP hasn't remained silent through all of this, with the ruling party hitting out at the TMC supremo over incidents of violence during Ram Navami processions in West Bengal. The BJP said that while Banerjee's state was "burning", she was "doing politics" in the national capital. 10) Mamata Banerjee meets NCP, Shiv Sena, DMK and TRS leaders: Arriving in Delhi on Monday, Banerjee had met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and MPs of BJP's ally Shiv Sena on Tuesday.
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