New Delhi: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and discussed development issues related to her state. Though Ms Banerjee said she didn’t discuss the coming presidential polls with the Prime Minister, after the meeting, the West Bengal CM told the media she would be happy if there was a consensus candidate like A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
“I discussed development issues with the Prime Minister, (there were) no talks on the presidential election,” Ms Banerjee said after the meeting at the PMO. The West Bengal chief minister said the issues discussed included soil erosion caused by the Ganga in West Bengal, the restructuring of the state’s loans, export duty imposed by Bangladesh on Indian mangoes, the Farakka barrage and the construction of a dam over the Atrai river by Dhaka. Ms Banerjee said her state government has to pay Rs 40,000 crores for debt clearance. “How do we work in such a scenario?”
When asked about the presidential elections, she said she favoured a consensus candidate. Giving the example of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, she said: “Kalam was a consensus candidate once. If they get a consensus candidate, that will be very good... we will be happy to see that.”
The Trinamul Congress chief met Congress president Sonia Gandhi last week on a joint Opposition candidate for President.
Her comments on Drr Kalam are significant as she has been in favour of a second term for President Pranab Mukherjee if he emerges as a consensus candidate. During her visit to New Delhi last week, she had also met Mr Mukherjee.
Mrs Gandhi has called a luncheon meet of all Opposition parties on Friday to discuss a common presidential candidate.
The West Bengal chief minister’s meeting with the PM was on a day when BJP workers in Kolkata took to the streets to protest against the high-handedness of the state administration.
Questioned about this, Ms Banerjee said there was no violence. “It was the BJP and the CPI(M) that started the violence. See how they have beaten the police, including women, burnt government properties.”
