Uddhav meet with Mamata sparks speculation
mumbai — Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray called on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here on Thursday triggering speculation about the nature of their meeting but the former said there was no political discussion.
After the meeting, Thackeray said they didn’t discuss politics, but added that on issues such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation, he and Banerjee shared the same views.
“This was my first meeting with her. There was no political discussion, but we have same views on issues such as demonetisation and GST. Both of us have been speaking on these issues. This was only the first meeting, let’s see how the things shape up,” Thackeray told reporters.
The two also discussed possible joint ‘sister cities’ initiatives between the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, he said.
The Sena chief was accompanied by his son Aaditya Thackeray at the meeting at a south Mumbai hotel where Banerjee has been staying. Shiv Sena is the junior partner in the BJP-led coalition government in Maharashtra where the BJP’s ties with its oldest ally have come under strain.
Both Sena and Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress have been highly critical of the BJP and the Modi government on a host of issues, including demonetisation.
Banerjee, who is in the city since Tuesday, has met top industrialists and bankers ahead of the fourth edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit, to be held in Kolkata in January, 2018.