Ally & opposition pooh-pooh 'Didi’s' hints of early polls

Mamata Banerjee’s ally Congress party and the opposition, CPI(M), on Saturday termed her hint at a snap election in 2013 as just “unspecified loud thinking” aimed at “keeping her party in order”.

At a party conference on Friday, the Trinamool Congress leader asked her party members to be ready to face general election at any moment as she learnt about a party meeting with this agenda in Delhi.

Banerjee also told the party gathering that she would like to remain an ally of the Congress and would have more patience waiting for Centre’s financial help though “we have received nothing for a year”.

Though she did not name any party, her statement created speculation about mid-term polls, much to the embarrassment of the Congress.

However, in what appeared to be an about-turn, Trinamool spokesperson and MP Derek O Brien tweeted, quoting Banerjee that she would be happy to see UPA-II last its full term. “Let me clear. The half truth was being reported. I would be happy to see UPA-two lasts its full term,” he tweeted.

Earlier, reacting to Banerjee’s statement, a senior state Congress leader said, “We took it as hint that she wants to keep the unruly elements within her party on a tight leash, as election means unity and serious business and no fooling around, like it is happening now.”

Md Salim, state committee leader of the CPI(M) said: “She cracked a joke with her own party men and she has a right to that (implying let us not read much into it).”
–With agency inputs