Mamata Meets Naveen; Only a Courtesy Meet Says TMC Chief

Bhubaneswar: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee met her counterpart Naveen Patnaik today at Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar.

TMC Chief Mamata said, meeting with Odisha CM was just a courtesy. But this concept has not convinced political observers as earlier she met former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

After meeting the Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, they announced a new political front aimed squarely at cutting out the Congress and challenging the BJP in next year’s national elections.

Mamata Banerjee is also scheduled to meet former Karnataka Chief Minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Friday in Kolkata, before a possible one-on-one with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the national capital later this month.

Political observers think that Mamata Banerjee is keen to have Naveen Patnaik on board for the “Governance Platform” to shed the baggage that comes with the “Third Front” formation.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee described her meeting with Naveen Patnaik as a courtesy call as she could not honour an invitation during the Hockey World Cup earlier this year.

“This is not a matter of United Opposition or anything. It’s a courtesy meet and personal meet because there was a programme in Odisha and Naveen ji sent some ministers to invite me. I told him whenever I go to Odisha, I will meet him. Kumaraswamy ji also wanted to meet me, and he is coming to meet me at my residence on Friday,” she said.

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