Kolkata, Nov 14: Defence Minister George Fernandes today met Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to discuss the current political situation in the country and affairs within the NDA. Fernandes, also the NDA convenor, who made a stop-over here enroute to Imphal, spent nearly 20 minutes with the Trinamool chief at her party headquarters.

Emerging out of the meeting, the Defence Minister refused to say anything.

Banerjee, however, said that the current political situation was discussed in the meeting, but denied that the issue of allocation of a portfolio to her also came up for discussion.

She said that there would be a second round of discussions with Fernandes when he would return to the city tomorrow evening after his visit to Imphal and Kohima. The Trinamool Congress chief has been without a portfolio ever since she was sworn in as a cabinet minister in the Vajpayee government on September 8. Bureau Report