Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee decide on Opposition front minus Congress

New Delhi, March 17

In mounting troubles for the Congress, new Opposition permutations emerged on Friday after a productive meeting between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

Unitedly take on BJP

It has been decided that the TMC and SP will work unitedly to fight the BJP. Both parties will also maintain distance from the Congress. Kiranmoy Nanda, Senior SP leader

Sources said the two leaders agreed on evolving a joint front minus the Congress and the BJP, maintaining their distance from the two parties.

After meeting Mamata, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav tweeted: “Today met respected Didi in Kolkata.”

Mamata is now expected to meet Odisha CM and BJD’s Naveen Patnaik on March 23 to deliberate on the possibilities of a larger front.

TMC chief Mamata had earlier declared her party would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election alone. The Congress has been privately accusing the TMC of aiding the BJP tacitly.

Senior SP leader Kiranmoy Nanda, who attended the meeting, said: “It has been decided that the TMC and the SP would work unitedly to fight the BJP. Both the parties would also maintain distance from the Congress.”