Kolkata, April 8 (IANS) Ahead of her two-day visit to Delhi, West Bengal's Left Front Monday accused Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee of looking at opportunities to realign with the Congress - its former coalition partner.
"Her visit is an attempt at bargaining with the centre, to reinforce the alliance that had broken, thinking that it would help her party in the next Lok Sabha elections," said Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra."She has become isolated... to get rid of this isolation, she is negotiating with the Congress. Congress is also in need because it is not able to stand on its own. She is going to Delhi to look at the opportunities and gains that she will get," he said.
Mishra, though, refused to comment if the alliance between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress would be forged soon.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist leader also claimed that they were ready to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss matters about development of West Bengal.
"We had offered her to go to the prime minister even under her leadership, but she is unwilling to accept that. She wants to meet him separately," said Mishra.
He said that Banerjee's two-day visit to Delhi beginning Monday was also aimed at preventing a probable meet with Gujarat Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi who would visiting the city Tuesday.
"She is shy of meeting Modi, there is no doubt about it. She doesn't want to take the risk of meeting Modi at this juncture," said Mishra.
He also refused to admit that the development of Gujarat under Modi was a model for the whole country.
"We do not consider Gujarat as a model before the country or any state to follow, because a model doesn't limit itself to big industries and private investments. A model consists of so many things, overall economic development and other things," he added.
--Indo-Asian News Service
