The flagging-off ceremony for 12 new trains in Kanpur on Sunday brought together Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on a same dais.

Banerjee, who did not meet Gandhi in Kolkata when the latter had visited the city to pay tribute to veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, was seen talking to the UPA chairperson.

Gandhi appreciated Banerjee’s role as Railway Minister and said that her ministry was carrying out a number of projects in UP.

“We are confident that the efforts will yield positive results,” the Congress president added.

Twelve new trains were flagged off from Kanpur that included two Duranto and a Shatabdi — a first in the history of Independent India when a dozen trains was flagged off from a same place on a single day, according to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The function was organised at the railway stadium and the trains were flagged off through video-conferencing.

At the ceremony, Gandhi urged all the political parties to shun narrow politics and work together for the development of the state.

“I want to place Uttar Pradesh on the trajectory of growth but it is possible only when all parties rise above petty politics and support the Central government,” she said.

“We have to carry out development work in UP at a rapid pace and take the state to new heights,” she added.

She also credited the Congress-led UPA government for preventing the global recession affect the country.

“It was due to our policies that the economic global recession failed to make a major impact in the country,” she said.

Gandhi said the economic meltdown did not prevent UPA government from providing the required financial aid to the states. “How well the funds have been utilised, only the different state governments are in a better position to answer the question,” she, however, added.

The Railway Minister also gave more sops to the residents of Kanpur by announcing extension of seven train routes and construction of two railway over-bridges in the city.

“Kanpur has already been included in our project to construct world class facilities, and we have fulfilled our commitment by giving Shatabdi Express to the city,” she said.