Chidambaram and Bhattacharjee were just back from a joint press conference after the meet on anti-Naxal strategy.

As the two were walking down the long corridors at the Writers’ Buildings, Asim Dasgupta’s nameplate hanging outside his chamber caught Chidambaram’s eye. The Union minister stopped by and told Bhattacharjee, “I want to see him... we’ve worked together for a long time. He is my friend.”

Dasgupta was appointed the chairman of the empowered committee of state finance ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST) by the union finance ministry when Chidambaram was at the helm.

“I was working when he came in... it was a surprise call,” Dasgupta told reporters after the two left having spent some time with him. “It was a pleasant surprise for me. We’ve worked together on Goods and Services Tax earlier.”