Mamata is ready to close ranks with Cong, Left

UPA 3 IN THE MAKING: Rahul, Mamata, Kejriwal, Naidu meet at Pawar’s house

The Opposition bandwagon is gathering speed. The biggest takeaway of the day was Mamata Banerjee announcing that she would close ranks with her bitter political rivals -- the Congress and the Left -- to take on the BJP in the general elections.

"In the coming days, we will fight together. Whatever our fight with the Congress and the CPM, it will be in the state. At the national level, we will be together," Banerjee said.

"In the larger interest of the nation, I am ready to sacrifice my life; I am ready to sacrifice my party; I am ready to sacrifice everything."

The big pronouncement came at the opposition rally at Jantar Mantar in the national Capital. CPM leader Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D Raja spoke before her, but left minutes before Mamata arrived. Incidentally, Mamata had reached the rally venue from Parliament, where her party had been censured by the Left and the Congress over the chit fund scam in which her party men are allegedly involved.

After showcasing their numbers in Delhi, key opposition leaders converged at

Emerging from the meeting, Mamata also announced that the opposition will have a pre-poll alliance and a common minimum agenda.

the home of Sharad Pawar for further deliberations. Among these were Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Bengal counterpart.

The talks, sources said, have moved into a higher trajectory. For instance, there has been a fruitful discussion on a possible alliance between Kejriwal's party and the Congress party in Delhi. Similar alliances are likely to be cobbled together elsewhere.