Mamata not in a hurry to return to NDA?

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, JULY 21. dWhile the Trinamool Congress supremo, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, was today addressing a rally here to observe the `martyr's day', the party's rebel MP, Mr. Ajit Panja, also held an impressive rally in Chinsurah in Hooghly district. Both the warring factions claimed to have drawn the biggest crowd.

Contrary to speculation, Ms. Banerjee did not announce her decision to rejoin the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). This came as a surprise for many, including some of her MPs who, about a week ago, authorised her to structure the return to the NDA as she wished.

According to Trinamool sources, she did not make an announcement as the alliance leadership needed time to resolve the knotty problem of inducting her. On one hand, the BJP leadership was keen on taking her back and, on the other, it was finding it difficult to make the party's West Bengal unit accept Ms. Banerjee.

The sources said the fact that Mr. Panja could not rope in even a single MP, MLA or councillor for his rally, may induce the BJP leadership to make up its mind in Ms. Banerjee's favour. The sources said Ms. Banerjee was not in a hurry to reach a decision on joining the NDA as the Cabinet reshuffle was not likely to take place in a day or two. She would visit New Delhi in a couple of days and continue her negotiations with the NDA leadership.

In her half-hour speech, her first since the party's debacle in the Assembly election, Ms. Banerjee said that today's turnout proved that the Trinamool was still alive in West Bengal politics. ``The communists thought that just because we were defeated in the poll, we were finished. Let them see that we are a strong political force.''

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