Few days after Somen Mitra visited Mamata Banerjee, she returned the courtesy by visiting him on Thursday and made an open offer, “If Somenda wants to join Trinamool, he is welcome.”
The invitation seems to have a dual purpose, combat the Left Front and weaken the Congress. Mitra, a former president of the state unit of the Congress, is miffed with his party high command’s decision of appointing arch rival Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi as the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee’s chief.
According to sources, Mamata is likely to invite Mitra to join her on July 21 observed as Martyrs’ Day by the Trinamool Congress in memory of 13 party supporters killed in police firing in 1993.
The camaraderie, however, has not gone down well with the Congress.
In Murshidabad, Mitra’s followers like Atish Sinha and Mayarani Pal have already sided with Mamata, taking with them a large number of supporters.
Congress leaders are apprehensive of Mitra’s joining the Trinamool as this will enable the latter to make inroads into North Bengal. This alliance will also aid Mamata to strengthen her base in South Bengal.
Whether Mitra will join the Trinamool or create another party is the subject of endless debate in political circles.
A section of Congress MLAs may join hands with Mitra.
“If seven MLAs join Somen Mitra, then he will form a new party,” said a close associate of Mitra.
“We have no faith in the Congress. They want the Marxists to win in the Lok Sabha as well as the Assembly elections and vote against us in the Rajya Sabha,” said Mamata.