Mamata meets Sonia, describes meeting as “positive”

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence on Wednesday as part of her series of outreach meetings in the national capital.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was also present at the meeting at 10, Janpath, the residence of Sonia Gandhi.

Describing the meeting as “positive”, Banerjee said she discussed the political situation in the country as well as opposition unity with the Gandhis.

“It was a very good meeting,” the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo told reporters after the deliberations that lasted for around 45 minutes, adding that she is expecting positive results in the future.

“Soniaji had invited me for a cup of tea. We discussed the political situation in the country. We also discussed the issue of opposition unity,” she said.

“To defeat the BJP, all of us have to come together and work together,” Banerjee said on opposition unity.

She said she also discussed the Pegasus spyware issue with the Congress chief.

However, Banerjee’s party was not present at a meeting of opposition leaders, which was attended by Rahul Gandhi. Later, at a briefing by the opposition leaders at Vijay Chowk, the representatives of the TMC were not present.

Taking on the government over the Pegasus snooping controversy, Banerjee said, “Why is the government not replying on the Pegasus issue? If there is no discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha (on Pegasus), where will this discussion be held? Discussions are held in Parliament, not at tea stalls.”

The TMC supremo has been reaching out to various opposition leaders in a bid to bring together the non-BJP forces ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.