Fernandes to share dais with Mamata today

By Malabika Bhattacharya

KOLKATA, AUG. 8. The Trinamool Congress announced today that the NDA convenor, Mr. George Fernandes, would participate tomorrow in a rally which would be addressed by its chief, Ms. Mamata Banerjee.

Ms. Banerjee arrived here today after a hectic week in New Delhi during which she is believed to have bargained hard with the BJP leadership over conditions for rejoining the National Democratic Alliance(NDA).

Trinamool sources said the BJP had agreed to accommodate her into the NDA almost on her terms. One such was returning the Railway Ministry to her during the next reshuffle of the Cabinet, it is learnt.

Authorised by the BJP's central leadership to bring Ms. Banerjee back into the NDA, Mr. Fernandes held discussions with her on Tuesday, when the Trinamool chief set pre-conditions for her re- entry. First, the BJP should not pamper Mr. Ajit Panja, MP, and secondly, it should give her back the Railway Ministry.

The BJP's central leadership is believed to have conveyed to Mr. Panja that it had no other option but to go by Ms. Banerjee's wish. Mr. Panja is holding a rally in Jalpaiguri in north Bengal tomorrow.

The Trinamool invited Mr. Fernandes to participate in tomorrow's rally at Contai in Midnapore district, organised to commemorate the Quit India movement and the NDA convenor accepted it.

Mr. Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Trinamool MLA, said Mr. Fernandes would arrive in the city tomorrow morning with the Trinamool MP, Mr. Sudip Bandopadhyay. He, however, declined any comment on the Trinamool's possible return to the NDA, saying the party had authorised Ms. Banerjee to take a decision. A bouyant Ms. Banerjee today re-started her campaign against the ruling Leftists. After a gap of nearly three months, she visited Sonarpur in North 24 Parganas district this afternoon where the Trinamool was observing a bandh in protest against the slaying of two party workers a few days ago.

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Section  : National
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