NEW DELHI:
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in the capital to try forge a third-front alliance against the BJP-led government at the Centre, today held meetings with the leaders of the opposition parties, including Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP)
Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut.
Following her meeting, the Trinamool Congress chief announced that she will also be meeting the dissident BJP leaders Shatrughan Sinha, Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie tomorrow.
"Yes, Sonia ji is unwell right now and recovering, will meet her once she is fine. Tomorrow will meet Shatrughan Sinha ji, Yashwant Sinha ji, and Arun Shourie ji. Will certainly go if they (Mayawati-Akhilesh Yadav) call us for a meeting to Lucknow," she said.
Banerjee was speaking at a press conference organized post her meeting with members of the opposition parties amidst speculations that she is trying to cobble together an anti-BJP front for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The meetings were attended by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP K. Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
The West Bengal chief minister urged all the opposition parties to come together to stop the winning streak of BJP in the elections. "We want all opposition parties to work together. We should help the strongest opposition party in a particular state to fight the BJP. It should be one fight," the TMC chief told reporters.
The TMC leader said that the BJP has lost all credibility and there is an anti-BJP wave in the country.
"People are against the BJP. I have travelled to all the states. I know the mood of the people. Issues like demonetization, GST, bank fraud have affected people even at the grassroot level. The time has come for this BJP to pack up and go," she said.
Banerjee is seen as a key player in a possible grouping of non-BJP political parties ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections.
"When political people meet then, of course, they will discuss politics, there is nothing to hide in that. The Lok Sabha election of 2019 will certainly be very interesting," Banerjee told reporters after the meeting with Raut.
(With inputs from agencies)
