Centre will assist and cooperate with Mamata Banerjee: Pranab Mukherjee

Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee today said the Centre would give all assistance and co-operation to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee who is set to become the chief minister of West Bengal.

"The Centre will provide all assistance and cooperation to Mamata Banerjee so that the massive mandate received by her in the assembly election is translated into reality," Mukherjee, who arrived here to hold talks with the Trinamool Congress chief, told reporters.

He said he is in Kolkata to hold talks with PCC president Manas Bhunia and other Congress leaders. "I will also talk to Mamata Banerjee who is the architect of this victory."

Mukherjee said he had addressed a press conference in Delhi yesterday to express gratitude to the electorate in four states where polls were held, for giving their mandate to the UPA "though in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, they did not vote us to power."

He said Congress was able to win 42 of the 65 seats it had contested in West Bengal and slammed party rebels who made no headway in the elections.