PK MEETS MAMATA ON HER RETURN FROM MUMBAI, SPARKS TALK OF OPPOSITION ALLIANCE

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee returned from Mumbai on Friday and met political strategist Prashant Kishor at the state secretariat Nabanna. All India Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was also present in the meeting.

According to sources, Trinamool’s strategy to form organisations outside Bengal was discussed during the meeting.

The meeting assumes significance mainly after Mamata’s meeting with NCP leader Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Wednesday. After meeting Pawar, Mamata had said: “There is no more UPA here.”

While the distance between Trinamool and Congress is visible in Delhi politics, after meeting Mamata, Pawar conveyed the message that whichever party opposes the BJP is under one umbrella.

Meanwhile, Trinamool has formed a new unit in Meghalaya after 12 Congress MLAs joined the party under the leadership of Mukul Sangma. Sources said Trinamool’s tactics in the Northeast were also discussed in the meeting.

A tweet from Kishor has sparked speculation about an opposition coalition. He wrote on Twitter: “Congress consultation is needed for strong opposition unity. But there is no heavenly right to be the leader of the Congress. Especially when the Congress has lost 90 percent of its elections in the last ten years.”

The tweet created a new debate in national politics. Congress MP Pradeep Bhattacharya said: “We don’t care what anyone says. For 137 years, the Congress has been at the centre of Indian politics.”