Farmers Movement Archive

Mumbai: Mamata in town to woo industrialists; meets Aaditya, to talk to Pawar today

Mumbai: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a visit to Mumbai, met Shiv Sena leaders, including state environment minister Aaditya Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday and is slated to meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday. During her trip, Banerjee plans to meet several top industrialists to attract investments to West Bengal and to invite them to the upcoming Bengal Global Business Summit scheduled for April 2022. "Jai Maratha, Jai Bangla," she announced after her visit to Siddhivinayak temple. Banerjee said she prayed for chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s recovery from spinal surgery. “Since the (WB) chief minister is in a bio-bubble, I came to meet her. There is a special relation between chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Mamata didi. There has been coordination between them even during Covid,” said Aaditya Thackeray. Raut tweeted, “Politics and Bengal-Maharashtra relations were discussed. Maharashtra and Bengal are warring states and will not bow down, she said. It’s always a great pleasure to meet the Tigress of Bengal.” “Aadityaji welcomed her in Mumbai and discussed several issues from tourism to the film industry. She also inquired about the CM’s health. Mamataji has prayed at Siddhivinayak for UddhavJi’s health,” said Raut. Banerjee has enjoyed a warm equation with the Sena, especially after it parted ways with the BJP to form the MVA government in Maharashtra. Soon after Banerjee’s TMC swept the West Bengal polls in May this year, Raut was one of the first leaders to congratulate her, calling her the ‘Tigress of Bengal’. Both parties have been very critical of the Modi government, including on issues like fuel price rise, and the farm laws controversy. While Banerjee is trying to expand the TMC’s national footprint by contesting elections outside West Bengal, the Sena is also hoping to expand its base outside Maharashtra. The Sena got a shot in the arm when Kalaben Delkar won the by-election for the Dadra & Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha seat early in November. This was the party’s first Lok Sabha seat outside Maharashtra.

The Times of India

2021-12-01

Mumbai