As scheduled, Trinamool Congress (TMC) president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here late on Tuesdayevening on a three-day visit to Odisha.
“I have come here to meet Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay. Tomorrow, I will visit the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. If I get time, I will call on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik,” Banerjee told reporters.
Banerjee directly rushed to the Apollo Hospital to see Bandyopadhyay. She spent a few minutes there, according to reports.
Though speculations are rife that her visit to Odisha has a political motive, TMC State convenor Aryakumar Jnanendra told The Pioneer that her visit is purely personal and no party programmes are fixed for her.
Notably, both CMs, Banerjee and Patnaik, had met at the Central Hall of Parliament in New Delhi on April 10, fuelling speculations about emergence of an anti-BJP alliance at the national level.
A meeting between the two neighbouring CMs is perceived very important now as the BJP is eyeing to expand its base and capture power in both the States.