Trinamool supremo and Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee could not find enough response from Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in the roadshow against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s currency ban in Patna. At her rally in Patna, Banerjee did not name Nitish, but derided a traitor who has deceived the cause and will not be forgiven by the public.” She praised Nitish’s ally, Lalu Yadav, for his support of her fight against demonetization.
Banerjee disappointed when Nitish didn’t depute any minister to receive her
Banerjee arrived yesterday in the Bihar capital and complained to supporters that the Nitish’s response was very poor as he didn’t depute a senior minister to receive her. When Banerjee rallied in Lucknow against the PM earlier this week, she was received by Cm Akhilesh at the airport and he even deputed ministers to join her rally against demonetization for cancellation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in the capital.
It is worth mentioning here that Banerjee won the second consecutive term as West Bengal Chief Minister in May with a massive lead, is being as a state guest in Bihar. Although she is staying nearby CM Nitish’s residence, but till late afternoon, he had not met her.
Last night, Banerjee drove to see Kumar’s ally Lalu, where she had been watched hugging his wife Rabri Devi. On the other side, Lalu’s two sons who are ministers in the government did not attend Banerjee rally today, he sent a senior party leader to the event.
Nitish Kumar refused of making any equation with BJP by opposition
Sources close to Kumar told Banerjee should not find his distance flummoxing. He has continuously backed the PM Modi to ban old denomination notes to curb black money and corruption and announced to not to support “Bharat Bandh” called by the opposition parties against demonetization.
Amid speculation of whether his support to the PM suggests he is thinking of making equations with the BJP, Kumar addressed Lalu’s legislators to insist there is no political reconsideration on his part. On Monday night, he said the opposition is trying to raise the issue that I am bending toward BJP and said it is a politically assassinate him.
Nitish also told Lalu’s party that when CM Banerjee asked him to join the protest march in Delhi to meet President Pranam Mukherjee and demand that he cancel demonetization, he flatly turned her down, Pointing out that the President has already given a green signal the reform.
Sources close to Nitish said Banerjee should not see their differences over this issue as a sample of growing rift. They said when Kumar advocates publicly about his tough ban laws for Bihar, he is careful to skip Bengal from the list of States that he alleges are failing their people by allowing the free sale of alcohol.
Kumar’s team also points out that when Banerjee was campaigning for re-election, he had not visited Bengal to support his own party’s candidates and was among the VIP attendees of her oath-taking ceremony.
