Leaders queue up to meet Mamata

Since her arrival in the Capital on Wednesday amidst hectic political parleys ahead of the Presidential poll, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's office has been flooded with requests for meetings-or, at least, telephonic talks.

Since her arrival in the Capital on Wednesday amidst hectic political parleys ahead of the Presidential poll, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's office has been flooded with requests for meetings-or, at least, telephonic talks.

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Banerjee's office confirmed that BJP leader Najma Heptulla and chief election commissioner SY Qureshi spoke to her over phone on Thursday.

Banerjee, a key UPA leader, had spoken to several important people from the corridors of power during the past two days but these two calls are seen significant as both Heptulla and Qureshi's names are doing the rounds as probable vice-president candidates.

The West Bengal chief minister enjoys a considerable clout in the UPA and a section Congress managers are speculating that she might offer some names for the vice-president's post. Banerjee, on Thursday, avoided suggesting any of her preferred Presidential candidate's names at her meeting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

While Banerjee has already met Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel and Union minister Kamal Nath to talk about the upcoming presidential polls, she met commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma —after the latter made several calls and even text messages requesting for an appointment.

According to sources, Sharma spoke to her about the government's plan to bring FDI in civil aviation. The West Bengal chief minister had earlier forced the government to stall the policy of FDI in multi-brand retail.