Amid the intense political tussle over Assam NRC final draft list, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met several top political leaders in Delhi on Wednesday, including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.
TMC chief on her four-day visit to Delhi, has planned to meet several political parties to forge an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) front for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She said the opposition parties should unite to remove the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party from power.
“We have to remove BJP from power. All opposition parties should unite to fight together,” Banerjee told media after meeting Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Mamata Banerjee said the issue of Prime Ministerial face will be discussed later.
Banerjee, who has been trying to consolidate opposition unity, spent the second day of her Delhi visit meeting leaders of various parties including the Congress, TDP, YSR(Congress), DMK, RJD, SP and JD(S) and invited them to her rally on January 19 in Kolkata.
So far, Mamata has met veteran BJP leader L K Advani at his chamber in Parliament on Wednesday. The meeting lasted for 20 minutes. “I know Advaniji for a very long time. I went to enquire about his health. It was a courtesy call,” Banerjee said after the meeting.
Mamata also met suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad, Congress leaders Gulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel, and Samajwadi Party leaders Ram Gopal Yadav and Jaya Bachchan.
“Her efforts to unite opposition leaders are commendable,” Azad said after the meeting.
Interestingly, Banerjee extended an invitation for the rally to the Shiv Sena chief through Raut who said the party would take a decision on it. Though a constituent of the NDA, the Sena has been openly critical of the Modi government. Banerjee also met JD(S) leader Deve Gowda and invited him to the rally.
