Parkash Singh Badal and Mamata Banerjee

March 9: Punjab chief minister-designate Parkash Singh Badal has invited Mamata Banerjee to his swearing-in on March 14, letting the Bengal chief minister savour the satisfaction of having been “accepted” by a potential ally outside her home state and also the option of skipping a BJP-shared event as the Nandigram firing anniversary falls on the same day.

Badal’s invitation to all non-Congress chief ministers and former NDA allies — which includes restive UPA partners such as Mamata and M. Karunanidhi — comes at a time Trinamul minister Dinesh Trivedi has added to the Congress’s suspicions by speaking of mid-term polls.

Railway minister Trivedi later clarified that it was his personal assessment and not Trinamul’s. But in the aftermath of the Uttar Pradesh elections, such comments and gestures — howsoever personal or token — have the potential to keep the pot boiling.

Sources in Chandigarh said Badal firmed up the decision to invite Mamata and other former NDA allies after he held a meeting with a senior BJP leader credited with splitting Congress votes in Punjab.

“We have sent an invitation to Mamata Banerjee among other leaders and we expect all of them to be present when Badal saab will be sworn in chief minister,” Badal’s media adviser Harcharan Bains said.

However, Trinamul leaders said Mamata has not made up her mind and they pointed out that the anniversary of the Nandigram firing, in which 14 persons were killed, was on March 14.

This is the first such anniversary after Mamata has come to power and, given the importance of Nandigram for her, she is unlikely to stay away from Bengal that day.

Besides, the event gives her a valid reason to stay put and avoid sharing a platform on which Badal’s ally BJP will also take a pride of place.

“March 14 being the Nandigram martyrs’ day, Mamatadi has some programmes lined up and it would be very difficult for her to leave Calcutta. Moreover, the Shiromoni Akali Dal is an NDA partner and Mamatadi is very unlikely to be seen with the BJP at a time she is wooing the minority vote bank in Bengal,” a senior Trinamul leader said in Calcutta tonight.

But the leader has pointed out that Mamata is happy with the invitation as “this proves her growing importance in national politics”.

Such developments and interpretations are certain to deepen the Congress’s suspicions.

In an interaction with The Indian Express on Wednesday, a day after the Uttar Pradesh election results were announced, minister Trivedi was quoted as saying: “The Trinamul Congress may also be happy to have a mid-term poll now rather than two years later. If there is a perception that there is an anti-Congress feeling then, obviously, even the BJP would want an election now. So if everybody wants an election, there will be an election.”

After this was published on Thursday, the minister issued a clarification. “I gave my opinion as an individual and not as a minister or a Trinamul Congress member,” he said, and added that his party chief had promised not to rock the UPA boat.

The Congress came out with a statement on the same day, asserting there was no threat to the government.

Mamata, who party sources said was unaware of Trivedi’s interaction just days before the railway budget, called Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel and assured him she would not destabilise the UPA government.

Sources said Mamata had called up Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav after his party’s win and, apart from congratulating him, had talked about a co-ordinated effort to deal with the Centre.

“We are not holding talks with any party on floor co-ordination at this stage. Other parties may come and talk to us,” Trinamul MP Sudip Bandopadyay said today.

The Congress apprehends that Trinamul will, along with the Opposition, corner the government on key policy decisions during the budget session starting March 12.

Bengal demands

Trinamul MPs were today asked to raise Bengal-specific issues in Parliament. At a nearly two-hour meeting, Mamata instructed them to put up the state’s demands, especially on funds, and to fight for the protection of federal rights.

A special financial package for Bengal tops the agenda. Another issue important for Mamata before the panchayat polls next year is the rise in fertiliser prices. Mamata has already blamed the Centre and claimed that Trinamul, despite being a UPA partner, was unaware of the decision to decontrol fertiliser prices.

Sources said Mamata made it clear Trinamul would oppose any hike in fuel prices.