Buddha will canvass for FDI in the US

NEW DELHI: A couple of months ago, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee called George Bush leader of the “world’s biggest pack of killers”. Now, he wants to do business with America.

The CPI(M) has cleared Bhattacharjee’s visit to the US to bring FDI to West Bengal. Before this, Industry Minister Nirupam Sen will visit Washington, DC, to lay the groundwork.

Politburo member Sitaram Yechury confirmed Sen’s visit but was cagey about the CM’s plans. Asked how the party cleared the trip, he said it normally does not interfere. But party sources said the visit was discussed by the top brass.

Barring a token visit to the US by Jyoti Basu in the early 1990s, this would be the first official visit by a top Marxist politician to the US. Ambassador David Mulford met Bhattacharjee in Kolkata last Thursday for an hour-long tête-à-tête.