Mamata: New strategy

Calcutta, Oct. 11: A letter might do what her vocal cords could not.

Mamata Banerjee today sent a one-page missive to state Congress leaders, conveying her wish to meet them and discuss joint movements on contentious issues like land acquisition in Singur.

The Congress received the “formal” invite with enthusiasm, a day after it rapped former MLA Subrata Mukherjee for getting too cosy with the Trinamul Congress.

The letter was addressed to state Congress working president Pradip Bhattacharya, and copies were sent to defence minister Pranab Mukherjee and Margaret Alva, the AICC general secretary in charge of Bengal.

Mamata has lined up rallies on October 15 and 18 and November 29 against the Singur land acquisition for Tata Motors small car factory, and she is determined to stitch an alliance with her parent party to add muscle to her protests.

Political observers saw the letter as a step towards Mamata’s “official reunion” with the state Congress. “It is clear that Mamata will shortly snap ties with the NDA and rejoin the Congress,” said an observer.

Trinamul general secretary Mukul Roy believes the party’s ties with the NDA should not come in the way. “The NDA does not exist in Bengal. So the Congress should not raise the question of our association with it,” he said.

The Trinamul chief earned a pat from the Congress for her “judicious” decision.

“Although we had extended support to Monday’s Trinamul-sponsored bandh and earlier shared a platform with Mamata at Esplanade to condemn police brutalities on her in Singur, this is the first time we have received a letter from Mamata for formal talks on future joint movements. This assumes great political significance,” Bhattacharya said.

Last night, information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi had called Mamata and asked her to “formally” write to the state Congress if she wanted “us to join forces with her struggle” against the CPM.