Mamata, Naveen call for ‘strong’ federal structure

Bhubaneswar: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik met in Bhubaneswar on Thursday and said they resolved to make India’s federal structure strong and permanent, hinting at Opposition efforts to find a common platform ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Banerjee met Patnaik on the concluding day of her three-day visit to Odisha, days after she met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Kolkata. Her party, the Trinamool Congress, has said that it will maintain equal distance from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

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Addressing reporters at the end of the meeting at Naveen Niwas -- Patnaik’s residence -- with Banerjee next to him, the Odisha CM said, “We resolved to make the federal structure of the country permanent and strong. There was no other political discussion.”

Banerjee backed him.

“I strongly support Naveen ji’s statement on strengthening the federal structure. We share a good relationship being neighbouring states that face the vagaries of nature. When there is a cyclone in Odisha, West Bengal is also affected,” she said.

“Regional parties are always strong. They are very competent. The central government gives the policy and the implementing authority is the state government. So, wherever we go and whoever we meet, we discuss the development of the state and federal structure also,” she added.

On March 17, Banerjee met Yadav in Kolkata. Later, the TMC announced that she will meet other Opposition leaders in an effort to find a common platform. The Congress did not figure in these plans, which, if successful, could see the emergence of an Opposition grouping spanning several states. To be sure, in the past, such efforts to forge a coalition of regional parties have not tasted success at the national level.

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Banerjee will meet former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy in Kolkata on Friday. Both Banerjee and Kumaraswamy worked closely on during last year’s presidential elections. Karnataka goes to the polls this summer.

After spending two days in Puri, Banerjee arrived at Naveen Niwas around 4.30 pm on Thursday. Patnaik presented her a Sri Anga Vastra of Lord Jagannath, a replica of three chariots, a filigree work and sweets. The Bengal CM presented him a shawl and thanked the CM for allocating land for the Bangla Niwas in Puri.