Raiganj, Jan. 15: Riding the crest of what she thought was a wave in her favour in 2001, Mamata Banerjee had fought with Ghani Khan Chowdhury over the number of seats Trinamul Congress would contest in Malda.

Five years on, the Malda veteran is Mamata’s last hope in stitching together an alliance against the Left Front.

The Trinamul chief today urged Congress leaders to follow the example set by Barkatda, as Ghani Khan is known, and join hands with her party to oust the Left from power. “He has understood the reality and called for the alliance. We should not have a haphazard alliance. We have to work together to take on the Left singly and not divide the vote,” said Mamata.

Five years ago, she had shared a frosty relationship with the Malda veteran as she bickered over seats on Congress turf. She had her way finally, but the Trinamul-Congress combine lost several seats to the CPM.

Ghani Khan, who is in Calcutta, will hold talks with Mamata at his Kotwali residence in Malda tomorrow. Sources said Ghani Khan could offer Englishbazar, a safe seat, to Mamata if she wished to contest the Assembly elections.

Trinamul leaders in Malda said Englishbazar would be “the best for her”. Told about the option, Mamata is said to have told supporters: “People in all 294 constituencies want me to contest.”

Mamata will stay overnight at Gour Bhavan in Malda and is understood to have spoken to Ghani Khan over phone.

She called for the anti-CPM alliance with the Congress and the BJP as partners at a public meeting at Kaliaganj stadium in North Dinajpur this afternoon.