Anti-BJP front for 2024 Lok Sabha polls? Mamata Banerjee to meet JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy today
On Thursday, Mamata met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and resolved to make the federal structure of the country "strong and permanent". The statement came after a much-awaited meeting of the two chief ministers held at the conclusion of Banerjee's three-day visit to Odisha.
FollowWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will on Friday (March 24) hold a crucial meeting with Janata Dal (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, a week after she met with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav in Kolkata. It is reportedly said that the duo's meeting will be held at Banerjee's residence in Bhawanipore at 4 PM.
The JD(S) leader will arrive in the city around noon to meet Banerjee, who is also the TMC chief, a senior leader of the party said.Â
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Speaking to a news organisation, sources from the TMC said, "The two leaders will discuss the present political situation in the country and the way forward to fight and defeat  BJP in 2024 (general election)." According to TMC leaders, the meetings with non-Congress, non-BJP leaders are part of the party's efforts to cobble up an "opposition unity with regional powers".Â
In January 2019, ahead of Lok Sabha polls that year, Kumaraswamy attended the meeting of opposition parties convened by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the city. It can be seen that today's meeting with him is likely to be Banerjee's third meeting with a non-BJP, non-Congress party leader within a week.Â
On Thursday, Mamata met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik and resolved to make the federal structure of the country "strong and permanent". The statement came after a much-awaited meeting of the two chief ministers held at the conclusion of Banerjee's three-day visit to Odisha.
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Addressing reporters at the end of the meeting at Naveen Niwas - Patnaik's residence - with Banerjee beside him, the Odisha CM said, "We resolved to make the federal structure of the country permanent and strong. There was no other political discussion."
TMC had also announced it would hold talks with other regional parties in their bid to take on the BJP in the crucial 2024 elections though it officially continued to deny any plans for a 'Third Front', separate from the Congress-led broad coalition.
