If on one hand Mamata Banerjeeis making up with old ally Congress two years after she split from the UPA, and making overtures to arch rival CPM, on the other she also seems to be bringing down her level of confrontation with the Narendra Modigovernment at the Centre.
The West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo -in the capital after nine months on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's invitation to attend a conference to mark Nehru's 125th birth anniversary-on Monday made an unscheduled visit to veteran BJP leader L K Advani's house, to see his ailing wife Kamala, taking political circles by surprise.
Incidentally, the function to commemorate Nehru birth's anniversary, saw Mamata in the company of Left leaders Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury and D Raja.
The Bengal CM, who has been under pressure from the Centre on the Saradha chit fund scam and on the issue of terror network spreading in the state following the Burdwan blast episode, had also planned to meet ministers in the Modi government, she told reporters here on Monday. "I have known Advaniji for a long time and I had heard that Kamalaji is not well. I wanted to see them. I would also like to meet Arunji (Jaitley) and Rajnathji (Singh). I have heard that Arunji was also not well," she said, when asked about her sudden decision to call on Advani. Later on Monday evening she called on finance minister Jaitley. It is learnt that she invited him for a Global Industry Summit in Kolkata and discussed financial matters of the state with him.
Despite her calling on BJP leaders, Mamata did not shy away from taking on the saffron party which is emerging as a contender in Bengal for the first time in the state's political history. At a time when civic polls across the state are coming up next year to be followed by assembly polls in 2016, Mamata spoke of all anti-communal forces coming together under one umbrella. Alleging that BJP was "trying to incite communal violence," the chief minister added, "Congress committed mistakes because of which they were voted out of power. The BJP is ruling India with only 29 percent votes. They won because regional parties didn't fight unitedly. If regional forces come together, the BJP will lose." She added that "Congress should respect the regional parties and allow them political space."
Asked about leading an anti-communal front, Banerjee stressed there were others for the job but the alliance should be based on ideology. "I am a small fry. I am a commoner. There are big people who can be leaders of a federal front. I support the idea of an anti-communal front. On the issue of secularism we can work together," she said.
While she refused to support the insurance bill that the Centre plans to bring in the winter session of Parliament, Banerjee said she was "in favour" of exchange of border enclaves with Bangladesh. She, however, added that the Centre must consult the state government before taking any steps and ensure rehabilitation of all those who stand to lose their land. Her statement came in response to a question about the land border agreement with Bangladesh that the Centre again plans to bring in the upcoming winter session.
India has 111 such enclaves while Bangladesh has 51, all in Cooch Behar district, with a cumulative population of over 51,000. "I am in favour of exchange of border enclaves, but we have to do it amicably. The Centre has to take the state government in confidence before taking any decision of border enclaves," she said. On the Teesta Water agreement with Bangladesh, that she had earlier opposed, Banerjee refused to speak.
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