Ahead of polls, Tejashwi meets Mamata, promises her support

Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 1

Showing signs of an emerging political axis, two young Yadavs, heirs to formidable political fortunes, have thrown their weight behind West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is facing a tough challenge from the BJP in the Assembly elections slated to start in the state next month.

ISF Pact against cong ideology: sharma

New Delhi: Congress veteran Anand Sharma on Monday said the party’s alliance with the ISF in Bengal was against the core Nehruvian ideology and needed to be discussed in the Congress Working Committee. WB Cong chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “No decision in the Congress is taken unilaterally. I am incharge of a state unit and don’t take decisions on such crucial issues. We have struck seat deal with Left in WB. Left is talking to ISF not Cong.” TNS

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, son Lalu Prasad Yadav, met Mamata Banerjee on Monday and appealed to the people of Bihar-origin living in West Bengal to vote for the Trinamool Congress.

Emerging from a meeting with Banerjee at the state secretariat, Yadav said the first priority of his party was to stop the BJP’s progress in West Bengal.

Avoiding giving a straightforward answer to questions on whether the RJD would contest the elections in alliance with the TMC, Tejaswi said the upcoming poll would be a fight for saving “ideals and values”.

Tejaswi has turned down invite for joining the Congress-Left-ISF alliance.

Besides, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav has lent support to objections raised by Banerjee against the EC’s decision to hold the Assembly elections in West Bengal in eight phases. Akhilesh said holding the polls in multiple phases was an old tactic of the BJP.