Presidential Polls: Mamata Banerjee 'upset' with Sharad Pawar, to skip opposition meet... THIS is the reason

On Saturday, Sharad Pawar e-mailed the leaders of the opposition parties for Tuesday's meeting. But Pawar's statement in that letter has hurt the Trinamool top leadership, sources said.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has decided to skip the meet called by NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

In a big setback to opposition unity, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has decided to skip the meet called by NCP chief Sharad Pawar to pick the opposition camp's presidential candidate. Intead of Mamata Banerjee, her nephew and senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee will attend the meeting in Delhi. This was reported by Trinamool sources on Sunday.

Why is Mamata Banerjee angry with Sharad Pawar?

On Saturday, Pawar e-mailed the leaders of the opposition parties for Tuesday's meeting. But Pawar's statement in that letter has hurt the Trinamool top leadership, sources said.

Earlier, Mamata had written to everyone inviting them to the meeting. During the first such meeting called by Banerjee in Delhi on June 15 to formulate a strategy for the upcoming Presidential poll, it has been decided that a common candidate, who will "uphold the democratic ethos of the country", will be chosen as the opposition nominee.

As many as 17 parties attended the meeting.

Leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, NCP, DMK, RJD and the Left parties attended the over two-hour-long meeting called by the Trinamool Congress supremo, while the AAP, SAD, AIMIM, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Odisha's ruling BJD skipped it.

Leaders of Shiv Sena, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), National Conference, PDP, JD(S), RSP, IUML, RLD and the JMM were among those present.

Pawar's four-sentence letter has no reference to the previous meeting. So Mamata decided not to go to that meeting.

Abhishek Banerjee, party's all-India general secretary, is likely to visit Delhi for the meeting. According to Trinamool sources, he is scheduled to go to Tripura on Sunday before going to Delhi. By-elections are being held at four seats in Tripura. That's why Abhishek will take part in the last minute campaign. He is likely to hold a press conference in Agartala at 11 am on Monday. Abhishek will also hold a public meeting later in the afternoon in Agartala. According to sources, the Diamond Harbour MP will fly straight to Delhi to attend the opposition meeting from Tripura in the evening.

In 2012, the meeting in which Pranab Mukherjee's name was announced as the UPA camp's presidential candidate was attended by the then All India General Secretary Mukul Roy on behalf of the Trinamool supremo.