There’s no UPA now, says Mamata Banerjee after meeting Sharad Pawar in Mumbai

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, said that Mamata's intention is that like-minded forces should come together at the national level and set up a collective leadership.

Amid a strain in ties between the TMC and the Congress, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday stated that “there is no United Progressive Alliance (UPA) now.”

Mamata is on a three-day visit to Mumbai to meet leaders of the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

“There is an environment of fascism in the country today. A strong alternative needs to be given against it. Nobody can do it alone. Those who are strong should be taken together,” said Banerjee after meeting Pawar.

To a query on whether Pawar will lead the UPA, she said, “What UPA? There is no UPA now. We will decide it together.”

When asked whether there will be an alternative excluding the Congress, Banerjee said, “What Sharad Ji said is that there should be a strong alternative of those who fight. What do we do if one is not fighting? We feel that everyone should fight.”

Meanwhile, Pawar, whose NCP is in alliance with the Congress in Maharashtra, reiterated the need for a strong alternative leadership. The NCP chief said Mamata’s intention is that like-minded forces should come together at the national level and set up a collective leadership. “Our thinking is not for today, but for the election,” he added.

When asked if an alliance without the Congress was on the cards, Pawar said, “All those opposed to the BJP are welcome to join us. There is no question of excluding anyone”.

Earlier in the day, while interacting with some civil society members in Mumbai, the TMC chief said she had suggested to the Congress that an advisory council comprising prominent personalities from civil society be set up to give a direction to the opposition, but rued that the plan did not materialise.

If all regional parties come together, it would be easy to defeat the BJP, Banerjee said. “We want to say BJP hatao, desh bachao,” she said, adding that her party Trinamool Congress (TMC) will not contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

To a query on if she would lead the opposition alliance against the BJP, Banerjee said she is a “small worker” and wants to continue so.

Further, taking a veiled dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Mamata said, “Continuous endeavour is necessary in politics. You can’t be abroad most of the time.”

She added that the BJP is “not safe” and the need is to keep the country safe.

Earlier on Tuesday, Maharashtra Minister for Minority Affairs and senior NCP leader Nawab Malik had remarked that an Opposition Front was not possible without the Congress.

Responding to questions about the Trinamool Congress chief trying to displace Congress from its position of principle Opposition party using various tactics — including poaching of Congress’ MLAs as it did in Meghalaya recently — Malik said every party has a right to make efforts to expand its base, but it’s impossible to organise an opposition to the BJP by keeping Congress out.

On November 29, the Trinamool Congress had skipped a meeting of opposition parties called by the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge ahead of the Parliament’s winter session.

It had also said that it is “disinterested” in coordinating with the Congress during the winter session of Parliament but maintained that it would cooperate with other opposition camps on various issues concerning people’s interest.

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