West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday arrived at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This is the first meeting between the Prime Minister and Banerjee after she had skipped a post Cyclone Yaas review meeting chaired by Modi in May this year. Banerjee had met the PM separately for a moment and handed over the state government's report on the cyclone before excusing herself from the official meeting, resulting in a huge controversy.
Sources close to the chief minister said, "There are several issues like the appointment of the DGP, the financial aid for Yaas and the regularisation of the supply of vaccines for the state which are going to take the centre-stage in the meeting.
"The chief minister is likely to raise the issue of GST and the spiralling price of diesel and petrol. She might press for more vaccines for the state."
Earlier in the day, Banerjee met senior Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Anand Sharma in the national capital.
Nath, after meeting the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, said he had come to congratulate Banerjee for her victory in the recent assembly elections.
"We have not discussed any strategy. That will be discussed by the leader of our party. We just discussed the current situation and the issue of rising prices," the Congress leader told reporters.
Nath said Banerjee's victory in the assembly polls has sent a message across the country.
Later, Banerjee met Anand Sharma.
During the meeting, Sharma is reported to have told her that there cannot be a non-BJP front without the Congress as it is a national political party with a pan-India presence.
"Mamata Banerjee and I have close ties as we've worked together for years. I appreciate her for how she fought the recent polls and won. She's come to Delhi for 1st time after victory, so I came and had tea with her," Sharma told reporters.
Banerjee will be meeting another Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Singhvi in the evening.
She is slated to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said he is likely to meet Banerjee on Wednesday in New Delhi. "She called me last week and told me about her visit to New Delhi and her willingness to meet. I think we are likely to meet tomorrow in New Delhi," he said.
Reports said Banerjee's Delhi visit, is part of her efforts to cobble up a national front against the BJP. The TMC supremo is also apparently seeking to take up a larger role in national politics prior to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
(With inputs from agencies)
