Mamata meets Jyoti Basu

KOLKATA: After routing his party in the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, railway minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday met veteran Marxist Jyoti Basu at the latter���s Salt Lake residence to inquire about his health.

"I have come here just to meet Jyoti Basu and we did not discuss any political issues. Basu congratulated me thrice for our party���s performance in the Lok Sabha elections and I, too, inquired about his health condition," Mamata told reporters waiting outside Basu���s Salt Lake residence on Saturday evening.

This is not the first time that Mamata has met the veteran Marxist. On June 5, 2007, Basu had invited Mamata at his Salt lake residence to hold talks with the firebrand Trinamool Congress leader to bring an end to the Nandigram and Singur crisis. After their 45-minute meeting, Basu had told reporters that Mamata���s demands on Nandigram and Singur should be addressed properly by the state government and also said the government should Mamata���s grievances.

On September 9, 2008, Mamata had gone to meet Basu at a city hospital after the ailing CPIM leader was admitted there for a head injury following a fall in his bedroom.

Immediately after Mamata became the railway minister, the Trinamool Congress supremo had wished to see Basu. On Saturday, Mamata held a general body meeting of her party at Maharashtra Bhavan in south Kolkata where she announced her decision to meet the Marxist leader. She had also said that she will meet another former West Bengal chief minister and Congress leader Siddhartha Shankar Ray who was also unwell.

Mamata was accompanied to Basu���s residence by the opposition leader in the state Assembly and Trinamool Congress MLA, Partha Chatterjee. Even though Basu belongs to the CPIM which is Mamata���s arch political rival, the Trinamool Congress chief has always respected and honoured him. Trinamool Congress sources said Basu is the only CPIM leader was held in such esteem by Mamata.

However, it is well-known that Mamata has no regard for Basu���s party or chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Mamata���s party has boycotted the all-party meeting convened by the chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on the issue of distribution of relief materials to Aila-hit people in the state.

The second all-party meeting called by Bhattacharjee will be held at Writers��� Buildings today. The first one had taken place at the same venue on June 7. Trinamool Congress will not attend Sunday���s meeting too.