Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will share the dais with Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Banerjee will initiate her hectic north Bengal campaign tour on Sunday.
“Primarily, it has been decided that Banerjee will share the stage with Sonia Gandhi on April 20 for canvassing near Kolkata. She will jointly campaign and hold a public meeting with Manmohan Singh on April 23. However, since they are VVIPs, these are tentative dates and may change at the last moment,” said a senior leader of Trinamool Congress.
Talks are going on over the phone between Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and Mamata Banerjee over fixing the dates and timing of joint public meetings. According to sources, the Gandhi-Banerjee joint campaign is likely to take place in any constituency near Kolkata. The Singh-Banerjee meeting will be held in Dum Dum constituency.
“If this happens, it will be great. We are fighting under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. The people of Dum Dum will like to see our Prime Minister along with Banerjee here,” said Bratya Basu, theatre personality and Trinamool candidate in the constituency.
Basu is fighting against CPI(M) strongman and state housing minister Gautam Deb. Dum Dum is being considered as an acid test for both the candidates because the constituency, originally a red bastion, was won by Trinamool in the Lok Sabha election. The joint campaigns hold significance, since many constituencies Congress rebels are fighting as Independent candidates.
{{/usCountry}}Basu is fighting against CPI(M) strongman and state housing minister Gautam Deb. Dum Dum is being considered as an acid test for both the candidates because the constituency, originally a red bastion, was won by Trinamool in the Lok Sabha election. The joint campaigns hold significance, since many constituencies Congress rebels are fighting as Independent candidates.
{{/usCountry}}