Mamata Banerjee likely to meet Naveen Patnaik during Odisha trip: Officials

KOLKATA: After meeting Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav during his recent visit to Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to call on her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik during her three-day trip to the neighbouring state, officials said on Tuesday.

The Trinamool Congress supremo, who is scheduled to reach Bhubaneswar on Tuesday afternoon, will go to Puri by road and offer puja at the Shree Jagannath Temple on Wednesday.

Although it’s a personal trip of the CM, the fiery leader may hold a meeting with Patnaik before boarding the return flight to the eastern metropolis on Thursday, they said.

Party insiders said the two non-BJP CMs may hold discussions on strategies for next year’s Lok Sabha polls.

”This meeting gains importance as the country is heading for Lok Sabha elections in a year’s time. Banerjee is the driving force behind the anti-BJP thrust. The two CMs may hold discussions on strategies for the polls,” a senior TMC leader told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Banerjee, however, had skipped a meeting called by Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal for forming a third front ahead of the 2024 polls.

The Bengal CM is likely to visit the national capital later this month, however, no meeting has been scheduled with Kejriwal as of now, an official at the secretariat said.

After a meeting between Yadav and Banerjee last year, the TMC and SP stated they would maintain an equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress and would reach out to regional parties ahead of the polls.

Source: Press Trust of India