Mamata Banerjee seizes the demonetisation moment in rising against PM Narendra Modi

KOLKATA: The face-off between PM Narendra Modi and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over demonetisation is perhaps the worst one in recent times.

Even though, in last few months, there had been many such instances where Banerjee tried to emerge as the face of anti-Modi front, her inflexible Opposition to recall will have serious political implications. Mamata’s money-battle has taken an impetus now and it forced her to cancel her trip to Bangkok where she was scheduled to deliver a speech at the Global Asian Conference.

Instead, she will now take her battle against Modi to Varanasi. From PM’s constituency, she is likely to travel to Gujrat. “Didi has decided to break the blind faith people have in Modi.

People who support Modi need to be disillusioned and that is why she will travel to PM’s constituency and then Gujrat. She is likely to visit Varanasi on November 24,”said a close aide of Banerjee.

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According to political observers, this is going to lead to a complete break-down in Centre-State relations. The relationship is already a strained one and history of Bengal shows it has survived objecting to central policies. Moreover, matters are set to worsen with Banerjee taking the fight against Modi directly to his voters in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

Following the decision of not ratifying GST bill in Bengal legislative assembly, Mamata has picked at least a dozen subjects on which she has clashed with the Centre inlcuding the encounter of SIMI undertrials in MP to the suicide of an ex-serviceman over implementation of One Rank One Pension. She has been mobilising support against the implementation of uniform civil code.