Mamata will meet Sonia for a ‘grand alliance’

After the meeting at the Trinamool party office in Eastern Bypass,Banerjee vouched for a grand alliance to stop the division of anti-Left votes in the state. “People want us to go for an alliance. So,I am ready for talks to work out an alliance,” she said.

The Trinamool chief later told reporters: “I shall talk to the Congress’s central leadership since its state leaders have no powers.”

Banerjee also said she expects a response from the Congress high command in “seven to 10 days”. “The Lok Sabha polls are knocking at the door. I cannot wait indefinitely,” she added.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Partho Chatterjee said: “We want a grand alliance in Bengal but on honourable terms and conditions. We will talk with the top leadership in the Congress in Delhi. However,we are also prepared to go it alone if it (the alliance) does not work out.”

State Congress working president Subrata Mukherjee welcomed the Trinamool move. He said: “I am excited about the developments towards a grand alliance. The dialogue process between us and the Trinamool is open. Banerjee has already participated in talks.”

However,there are divisions in the Congress over the alliance as a section of the leaders have accused Banerjee of orchestrating defections in the party,wooing away stalwarts like Somen Mitra and Sudip Bandopadhyay. Moreover,Congress is also not keen to share seats in North Bengal,since it has a strong presence there compared to the Trinamool.

“She accepted breakaway Congress leaders like Mitra and Bandopadhyay. Moreover,our leadership in North Bengal is averse to the idea of leaving out seats for Trinamool,where our party is in a strong position with three MPs,” said a senior Congress leader.