Mamata Banerjee will back AAP in Punjab polls, woos others

Four key regional parties — Trinamul Congress, AAP, Janata Dal (U) and NCP — are moving closer after seeing the limitations of national parties. They have created a space against the BJP and Congress in West Bengal, Delhi, Bihar and Maharashtra. They also feel the BJD and National Conference in J&K could be prospective allies. The Samajwadi Party, BSP and the Dravadian parties may have a role at the national level, but only after Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

On Wednesday, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee met Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and told reporters the Trinamul Congress will back the AAP in the coming poll battle in Punjab, where she would also campaign for the AAP.

Mr Kejriwal, who will be going to Kolkata next month, was, however, cautious when asked if he would campaign for the TMC ahead of the West Bengal electons, due in 2016. On Wednesday evening, Ms Banerjee also met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

The Trinamul Congress chief, speaking to reporters at Parliament House on Wednesday after introducing her party MPs to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, said she was confident that the Aam Aadmi Party was emerging as a strong alternative to the established political parties in Punjab, where Assembly elections are due in 2017. Mr Kejriwal, however, was cautious in responding to a question on whether he would campaign for the TMC in the West Bengal Assembly polls to be held in the next few months, though he said he would be going to Kolkata next month. Ms Banerjee later took the Delhi CM to the TMC office at Parliament House.

Ms Banerjee had backed chief minister Nitish Kumar in the crucial Bihar Assembly elections against the BJP-led front. While she did not address campaign meetings in Bihar, the TMC and JD(U) are together on several key issues. Replying to a question, Ms Banerjee indicated her party would go it alone in the Bengal Assembly polls. “We have been fighting local body elections, Parliament elections and could go it alone in the Assembly polls,” she said.

Trinamul Congress, which has 46 members in Parliament (34 in the Lok Sabha and 12 in the Rajya Sabha), is now supporting the Congress’ battle against the Narendra Modi government on a “political vendett”a after Congress president Sonia Gandhi reached out to it the other day. In this situation, the Congress cannot afford to antagonise Ma Banerjee by appearing to be friendly with the Left parties, her chief rival, in the West Bengal elections.