Calcutta, Aug. 11: Tata Motors representatives may meet Mamata Banerjee before she sits on an indefinite dharna outside the Singur small-car plant on August 24, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is learnt to have told Hooghly CPM leaders today.

“As both sides — the Tatas and Mamata — want talks, it’s up to them to decide when to. It’s natural it may be held before August 24. Our government and party have made it clear that they have no objection to a meeting between the Tatas and Mamata because we want an amicable solution,” said Anil Basu, the CPM MP from Arambagh, after the meeting.

Tata sources have not confirmed whether Ratan Tata would meet the Trinamul chief but it is known that on August 22, two days before the dharna begins, the annual general meeting (AGM) of Tata Tea will be held in Calcutta. Tata usually attends the meeting as the group’s chairman.

Other sources said Tata Motors could be trying to ascertain how serious Mamata was about the talks.

Although Mamata was not available for comment till late tonight, her party colleague Partha Chatterjee said: “Mamata has already expressed her willingness to talk to the Tatas, provided a proposal comes from them. They must return 400 acres forcibly acquired from unwilling farmers.”

Asked if the party had got any feelers on talks, Chatterjee replied in the negative.

This evening’s CPM meeting also discussed “likely proposals from Mamata to the Tatas”, Basu said.

The government is also worried that the Congress today made common cause with Mamata and expressed keenness to join the dharna.

Chief minister Bhattacharjee and industries minister Nirupam Sen today joined CPM leaders Biman Bose and Benoy Konar at Alimuddin Street to chalk out a strategy to counter the dharna.

Sen will address a rally of the CPM’s peasant and labour wings on August 22 in Singur.

Those who attended tonight’s meeting between state leaders and the Hooghly district CPM said Bhattacharjee and Sen ruled out returning the 400 acres or shifting ancillary units away from the Nano plant.

They also said offering alternative plots to the farmers near the plant was not an option being explored. “Neither the Hooghly leaders nor the state leadership has proposed to give alternative land. Whose land will we acquire to give whom?’’ Basu asked.

The district leaders were told that offering additional compensation was a tricky matter as those who had willingly parted with their land would feel deprived if only the “unwilling farmers” got higher compensation.

The CPM leadership also discussed a contingency plan if Mamata’s siege looked inevitable. “This includes imposing Section 144 in the area and a counter-siege by our people. But we are still hopeful of avoiding a confrontation,’’ a senior district leader said.

Efforts are on to rally Left Front allies in Singur. The meeting today finalised the draft of a resolution that will be released at a news meet in Singur in the presence of ministers, front MLAs and MPs.

With reports from our Calcutta bureau