Kolkata: In an unexpected move, Trinamul Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has postponed her meeting on third front with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M. Karunanidhi and his son DMK working president M.K. Stalin in Chennai on April 10 in wake of the volatile situation across the state ahead of the crucial panchayat elections.
She was scheduled to fly to Chennai to meet them in her desperate attempt to build third front to counter the BJP at the national level, according to sources adding that her visit was scheduled for two days there.
As part of the meeting Ms Banerjee also had plans to raise the issue about how non-BJP-ruled states likes West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are being deprived of any assistance from the 15th Finance Commission.
But the violence during the filing of nominations by the candidates in the districts, since the rural polls have been announced in the state, and also the Trinamul Congress’ poll preparations have prompted Ms Banerjee to decide to not to leave the state now and postpone the meeting with the DMK leadership, Trinamool sources indicated on Wednesday.
Her decision has been conveyed to DMK by the Trinamool already, sources revealed. Ms Banerjee would however meet Mr Karunanidhi and Mr Stalin after the Panchayat Elections would be over on May 8, sources claimed. On March 4, she had reached out to Mr Stalin by making a telephone call to him for co-ordination inside and outside the Parliament.
During their conversation, the Trinamul Congress supremo had a discussion with him on the formation of a third front following which the date for the meeting was fixed.
Recently Ms Banerjee also met DMK MP Kanimozhi in New Delhi during her last visit there to hold discussions with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and NCP leader Sharad Pawar for building an anti-BJP platform.
