Naidu talks to Mamata on alliance after results
Kolkata, May 20: Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence here on Monday to decide on forming a nonBJP government at the Centre in case of a hung verdict, Trinamul Congress sources said.
Mr Naidu, who reached here from Amaravati, the Andhra Pradesh capital, held a 45-minute meeting with Ms Banerjee on the future strategy of the “Mahagatbandhan” (grand alliance), the highly-placed sources said.
The meeting also discussed the possibilities of forming a non-BJP government, including of regional parties with the support of the Congress, they said. “It was decided at today’s meeting that a detailed discussion will be held of all other political players of the ‘Mahagatbandhan’ in the event of a hung verdict after the results are declared on May 23,” a source said.
A decision on Ms Banerjee going to New Delhi will also be taken after May 23, the sources said.
Mr Naidu, who is making all-out efforts to bring together the Opposition leaders
against the BJP, left for New Delhi after the meeting.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav telephoned Ms Banerjee during the day and discussed the proposed strategy of the “Mahagathbandhan”, the sources said.
The TDP president had on Sunday called on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and had also met CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury. On Saturday he had met BSP chief Mayawati and Mr Yadav. At his meeting with Ms Banerjee, the TDP chief spoke about these other meetings, the TMC sources said.
The exit polls on Sunday evening gave a clear verdict in favour of the BJP, which was promptly dubbed by Ms Banerjee as “gossip”. The TMC supremo has said that she does not trust such surveys as the “gameplan” was to use them for the “manipulation” of EVMs.