After verbal duel, Mamata invites Ramesh to Delhi event

The Congress and its key ally Trinamool Congress is fast learning to maintain a blow-hot-blow-cold relationship. Saubhadra Chatterji reports.

The Congress and its key ally Trinamool Congress is fast learning to maintain a blow-hot-blow-cold relationship. Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh, who led a verbal attack on Trinamool last weekend, has been specially invited by party chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for celebrating the state government's promotional event at the ongoing India International Trade Fair at Capital's Pragati Maidan.

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Banerjee is the chief guest for the event on November 24 to showcase Bengal as investment destination.

Ramesh told HT, "I will certainly go to attend the event," indicating a thaw in the relations after he remarked that the Congress has not taken political VRS in Bengal.

The relation between the two alliance partners saw a chill after Banerjee asked the Congress to decide if it wants to stay in alliance in the state or not, following a Congress rally in Banerjee's political domain of South Kolkata, protesting against the state government.

During his visit in Bengal, Ramesh strongly defended the party's right to bring out rallies and said, "We have not taken sanyas here. The Congress doesn't need a directive from anyone."

Congress sources point out that Banerjee has deliberately kept open her new-found communication channel with Ramesh, a leader close to both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, even if she was initially miffed over his comments.