“I hope for a record membership from Bengal and you will get results in the next six to eight weeks,” said Sachin Pilot, the Minister of State for Information Technology and Communication at a programme organised by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to launch a broadband scheme. He, however, denied that the drive is being held with the 2011 assembly polls in mind.

After Tuesday’s rallies in Howrah and Hooghly, Pilot addressed another one at Barasat, North 24 Parganas, on Wednesday. On Tuesday, he also met Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee at her home and the two leaders discussed Railway projects in Rajasthan. Pilot described his meeting as a courtesy call and kept mum on the impact of the coalition with Trinamool on Congress prospects. “What happens is for the party high command to decide,” he said.