Mamata Banerjee keen on playing kingmaker

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee signalled Thursday she would prefer to play kingmaker after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls than lay claim to power herself.

She made it clear she was not in the race for Prime Minister, saying: “Many are speculating Mamata wants to become Prime Minister. No, I do not. I want to stay happily in a hut in Bengal. Let me tell you Mamata Banerjee does not want anything for herself. I want to help my friends go ahead,” she said, adding that regional parties should join forces to consolidate the federal structure. Ms Banerjee was addressing Trinamul Youth Congress’ Martyrs’ Day rally that saw a huge turnout.

Her comments are significant as she earlier floated the idea of a federal front after leaving the UPA-2 government in 2012. It didn’t take off in the 2014 polls. But encouraged by her party’s landslide win in the Assembly polls, Ms Banerjee again pushed the idea of a federal front at her grand swearing-in ceremony on May 27.