Kolkata: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata
Banerjee on Saturday invited its ally Congress to join the new
government to be headed by her in West Bengal.
Congress, however, is yet to take a decision on the
Trinamool invite saying it will elicit the views of its
newly-elected MLAs and PCC leaders tomorrow on the issue.
Banerjee, during a nearly 50-minute meeting with Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee at his south Kolkata residence,
proposed that Congress should join the ministry to be headed
by her.
Emerging from the meeting, Mamata told reporters that "we
were a strong coalition and the assembly election result is a
testimony to that. We will remain a strong coalition to form a
good government".
Asked if Congress would join the Mamata-led government,
Shakil Ahmed, incharge of Congress affairs in West Bengal,
separately said "we will elicit the views of our newly-elected
legislators on the issue tomorrow".
Ahmed and Mukherjee will hold talks with PCC leaders
tomorrow morning on the proposal of joining the Mamata-led
ministry.
Mamata said she and Mukherjee would go to Delhi to meet
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia
Gandhi to invite them to the swearing in of the new government
on a date which suits the convenience of the two top leaders.
Mamata`s aide and union minister Mukul Roy said the TC
chief is going to Delhi tomorrow evening.
Banerjee, set to take over reins as chief minister,
had yesterday said that she would like allies Congress and
SUCI to join the Trinamool Congress-led ministry.
PTI
