Just hours after Mamata Banerjee told a leading TV channel that she had no problem seeing AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa as Prime Minister, the Tamil Nadu CM called the Trinamool chief on Friday to thank her, kindling hopes of a post-poll alliance.
According to sources, while both party chiefs warmed up to the idea of a non-Congress, non-BJP “federal alternative” at the Centre, Banerjee emphasized that regional parties should focus on garnering maximum possible seats to challenge the BJP-Congress status quo.
Jayalalithaa’s gesture comes as a bonus to Banerjee, more so because the AIADMK chief dumped the Left just 10 days after her representative signed a joint declaration with CPM general secretary Prakash Karat and 10 other parties in Delhi on February 25. Jayalalithaa’s overture to Banerjee comes after seat-sharing talks with the Left failed.
Jayalalithaa is vying for all 39 seats in TN and Puducherry’s lone seat, hoping for a thumping margin so that she can have a greater say in the formation of the next government at the Centre. Banerjee has been gearing up with the same strategy since 2011. TMC is not only contesting all 42 LS seats in Bengal, but is also in the fray in Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, Jharkhand and even Delhi and UP.
Banerjee said she was “sometimes” in touch with Jayalalithaa and felt “she is good”. To a specific question on whether she would want to see Jayalalithaa as PM, Banerjee said, “I have no problem. I am not bothered about the chair. I care about the people…. Nothing is wrong. If Nitish ji wants to become PM I will be happy, Jayalalithaa, yes. Mayawati, yes. Mulayam, yes. What is wrong?”
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