Omar discusses federal front with Mamata

There is an urgent need to throw out an “oppressive” Narendra Modi Government for which all the Opposition parties must unite under one banner Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said after meeting National Conference leader Omar Abdullah.

An unwavering unity and not personal aspirations was key to achieve the ultimate goal and floating names — of possible Prime Ministerial candidates — until conclusion of next year’s general elections would only be counter-productive, Banerjee who met Abdullah at State secretariat Nabanna said batting once again for “strong and united federal front which will ensure a true Government of the people, by the people and for the people in 2019.” “It is not correct to float any one name now. I will request everyone: please do not choose any one name now (of a possible Prime Ministerial candidate) because the fundamental condition to defeat the BJP is unity of all anti-BJP parties,” Banerjee said adding she was “trying to work with all the parties so that we can throw out this dictatorial Government in the 2019 general elections.”

She said “we know that there are some parties that have their own compulsions but they too are working according to their own was because there objective is also the same,” — to remove the Modi Government from power. “Let us all stand up and sacrifice everything for our country as we cannot sacrifice our country,” by remaining non-committal.

Earlier the former J&K Chief Minister came calling at Nabanna to meet Banerjee because “I felt it necessary to discuss the situation not only in my own State of Jammu & Kashmir but also the entire country.”

Backing Banerjee’s stance he said “we are trying to form a true federal front where we will try to bring together all parties which oppose the BJP” because there was a desperate “need to unite against the BJP in 2019.”