In an apparent move to carry her swords to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s backyard, according to sources, Bengal Chief Minister has offered a Trinamool Congress birth to Patidar leader Hardik Patel who on Friday came calling to Nabanna the State secretariat in Kolkata.
While the two leaders would not dwell much on what transpired in the meeting save their mutual praise for each other and Patel’s offer to do some electioneering for Banerjee in 2019 general elections, inside sources said the Chief Minister offered her a Trinamool birth.
On whether a Trinamool birth meant a Rajya Sabha ticket to Patel or a simple attempt to build a citadel in Modi’s land was not dwelt on by inside sources. But they said the “Trinamool will not hesitate to reciprocate Hardik ji’s good gesture show to Didi (read Banerjee).”
Patel who met Banrejee in the evening said “I told the Chief Minister that I will come here in 2019 and campaign for her,” adding he had not seen very many leaders as simple as the Chief Minister. “She is simplicity personified. A Lady Gandhi we can say,” Patel said adoring the Chief Minister even as the political pundits got down to “add two to two make four” in the sense that “a praise of that level must entail some kind of quid pro quo.” Leaders of Congress Party which could also feel a little threatened by Mamata-Patel meeting on account of Banerjee’s fierce national ambitions said they had “nothing to say about the visit because everyone has right to see everyone.” Patel had promised Banerjee a visit to Bengal after the Gujarat polls.