Mamata Banerjee said Lalu Yadav looks strong enough to take on the BJP.
Mamata Banerjee today met with Bihar politician Lalu Yadav and touched his feet in a warm interaction a day before a mega opposition meet in Patna.
Opposition parties would “fight like a family and take on the BJP one to one," the Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader said on the opposition meeting called by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has been at the forefront of moves to unite parties against the BJP ahead of the 2024 national election.
Mamata Banerjee spoke around the time her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal warned that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would “walk out” of the meeting if the Congress did not support it in its fight against the Centre's ordinance on the control of services in Delhi.
Ms Banerjee deflected questions on Mr Kejriwal's ultimatum, and also on her own rivalry with the Congress and Left in her state.
"I cannot say what will happen at tomorrow's meeting. But I am certain we are all here to fight the BJP together, like a family, one-to-one," she told reporters outside the home of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, where she met with his parents Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi, both RJD leaders and former Chief Ministers.
"I have great respect for Lalu-ji. The poor man was sent to jail and had to spend a lot of time in the hospital," Ms Banerjee said.
She also shared a light-hearted anecdote. "Once, when both Lalu ji and I were MPs, he was stating on the floor of Parliament that prices of all vegetables, potatoes, onions, were rising. I got up and asked what about the price of Rabri (a sweet)," she said, punning on the politician's wife's name.
"Lalu-ji replied, Rabri is the most precious," she grinned.
"He (Lalu Yadav) looks strong enough to take on the BJP," the Chief Minister said.
Ms Banerjee, who is in Patna for tomorrow's meeting, arrived with her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, an MP.