Kolkata: A day after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee gave a call to constitute a non-BJP front at the Centre in the run-up to the 2024 general elections, her nephew and party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, party leader Mukul Roy, and election strategist, Prashant Kishor have already rushed to New Delhi on Thursday intending to create a consensus ahead of Mamata's Delhi visit on July 26.
After reaching Delhi, Mamata Banerjee is expected to hold a series of meetings with several leaders of national and regional parties. The visit of her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Mukul Roy, and Prashant Kishor to New Delhi just before that is aimed at making the groundwork for her forthcoming visit. At the residence of Trinamool Congress's Rajya Sabha member, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy at New Delhi on Thursday, the three leaders had a meeting in this regard which was also attended by Yashwant Sinha, who has recently joined Trinamool. Party sources said that in Thursday's meeting several issues, including the party's national expansion plans and strategy for forging a bigger anti-BJP alliance before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, were discussed.
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"The Chief Minister wants the opposition alliance to move united against different policies and decisions of the Union government from now only so that the people of the country can develop some trust about the opposition alliance much before the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. The Chief Minister wants the other anti-BJP opposition parties to realise the importance of the early alliance," said a senior Trinamool Congress leader.
It is learnt that in Thursday's meeting it was decided that from now onwards Yashwant Sinha will interact with other national and regional party leaders on behalf of Trinamool Congress. He will be seconded by Mukul Roy. Abhishek Banerjee especially wants to exploit Mukul Roy's experience in strengthening the party's network in the different states of northeastern India. In all probability, Abhishek will visit Tripura along with Mukul Roy next month.
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It is further learnt that during her visit to New Delhi next week, Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to hold a meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, among others. Already she has received an invitation to go to Chandigarh and extend support to farmers agitating against the three farm bills.
However, sources from the party said, that because of her busy schedule in New Delhi, the Chief Minister might not be able to visit Chandigarh this time. "However, she has already announced her full support to farmer's protests. If the farmer leaders want to meet her in New Delhi she is ready for that," a party leader said. To summarise, the chief minister's visit to New Delhi, this time will be quite significant for national politics.
