A week after Mamata Banerjee supported Sonia and Rahul Gandhi on the National Herald issue, her “political masterstroke” to destroy the developing bridge between the left and the Congress tended to bear fruits.
A group of Pradesh Congress members on Thursday noon had a one-hour session with senior Trinamool leader Mukul Roy who had just been recalled by the Trinamool chief as a core member of his party.
According to reports the PCC members and Roy together had fish curry and rice at Banga Bhavan in Delhi. While the leaders dismissed the event as an “informal meeting between old acquaintances” sources said they deliberated on some “political issues.”
With State elections not far away the Bengal Chief Minister had recently mended fences with Roy calling him back into the “coterie” a good eight months after stripping him off the number two slot in March this year. He was then removed as all India general secretary following reports that he had disclosed a lot to the CBI about Saradha chit fund scam and the involvement of top Trinamool leadership in it.
With Roy winning back Banerjee’s confidence Thursday’s development assumes importance, experts said.
Significantly among the PCC members who met Roy were a State Congress vice president, Manoj Chakrabatry, Amitava Chakrabarty, all known for their proximity to PCC president Adhir Chowdhury. Though Chowdhury is normally seen as a Mamata Banerjee baiter recently he has started losing his ground in Murshidabad a strong Congress forte.
In Kolkata leaders like OP Mishra refused to comment on whether Chowdhury’s men were trying to strike a deal with Roy going against the general will of the other district presidents and many senior leaders like Somen Mitra, Abdul Mannan.
“It is too premature to talk about such things” he said adding decision would be taken by the high command at an appropriate time adding however that his party in Bengal was still fighting against the Trinamool misrule and will continue to do that.