CM Mamata Banerjee or Adhikari? Nandigram decides today

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, March 31

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today wrote to 10 Opposition leaders, including Congress’ Sonia Gandhi, suggesting a get-together for chalking out a strategy to take on the BJP after the current round of Assembly polls.

• Also read: TMC chief Mamata Banerjee counts on Sanskrit shlokas

The strongly worded seven-point letter — sent on the eve of her battle with Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram — said the time had come for a “united and effective struggle against the BJP’s attacks on democracy and the constitution” and “presenting a credible alternative to the people of India”.

Starting with the controversial new law that gives more powers to Delhi’s Lieutenant-Governor, Mamata presented seven instances of what she called the BJP’s “assaults” on democracy and cooperative federalism.

The list included misuse of the office of the Governor, central agencies like the CBI and ED, withholding states’ funds, disbanding bodies like the National Development Council and Planning Commission, using money power to topple non-BJP governments, privatisation of nation’s assets and deterioration in the relations between the states and the Centre.

Besides Sonia, the letter was sent to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, DMK’s Stalin, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, BJD chief Naveen Patnaik and others.

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