Anna Hazare skips Mamata's Delhi rally, TMC chief says Gujarat leader is 'communal'

NEW DELHI: The much-hyped joint rally of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and social activist Anna Hazare ended up as a flop show after Hazare gave the rally a miss and few supporters turned up to hear the West Bengal chief minister at Delhi’s Ram Lila Maidan.

Hazare’s absence, ostensibly on account of ill health, and the public’s lukewarm response dealt a blow to Banerjee’s national ambitions, as she was banking on the rally to give a national look to her party’s campaign for next month’s Lok Sabha elections. Hazare had earlier said he would support Banerjee in the upcoming elections.

Banerjee who flew in especially for the event declared that it was actually Hazare’s rally and that she was only invited to attend it. This came as a surprise as the two camps had earlier announced that it would be a joint rally.

“I was invited. I made the commitment to come here and I came despite a busy schedule in West Bengal after elections were announced,” she said. Banerjee, however, did not blame Hazare for the poor show. “I heard he has poor health. I wish him well,” she told journalists later.

Banerjee’s aide and former railway minister Mukul Roy called on Hazare at the Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi but what transpired between them is not yet known. Trinamool Congress does not have organisational strength in Delhi and the party was banking on Hazare and his team to bring crowds to the rally.

Banerjee made it clear that her party would fight the Lok Sabha polls alone and the onus is now on Hazare to support the party