West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee plays both sides, goes soft on Murmu

KOLKATA:  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday seems to have gone soft on the NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, saying had the BJP discussed her candidature, her party could have agreed to support her. 

Referring to recent changes in Maharashtra’s politics, Mamata said Droupadi had a better chance to win now. She, however, said her party would stand by the decision taken by the Opposition parties. The Opposition parties nominated former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, who joined the TMC in 2021 and was elevated as the party’s national vice-president in the hierarchy.

Mamata’s change of tack on the issue of BJP’s President candidate is said to be her apprehension that the saffron camp’s tribal card in the presidential election may cause a dent in her West Bengal tribal vote-bank which her party managed to secure in its favour in the last year’s Assembly elections. 

“Droupadi Murmu has better chance to win following the changes in Mahashtra’s politics. Had the BJP informed us about the candidature of a tribal woman, all the Opposition parties could have sat together and discussed about it. We could have come to a consensus. But BJP wanted to know our suggestions only. They did not reveal their suggestion,’’ said Mamata during a Rath Yatra event in Kolkata.