Page 26 - Third Front News Today

We discussed about democratic rights and safety of the nation, says WB CM

The meeting that lasted for nearly an hour, was on "excellent" bilateral relations between the two states. They also resolved to make the federal structure of the country "strong and permanent".

However, speculation remained rife that the meeting was part of Banerjees plan to form an opposition front with regional players minus the Congress.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will meet her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik on March 23 in Bhubaneswar during a two-day visit to the neighbouring state.

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal had initiated efforts to enhance cohesion between non-BJP, non-Congress governments, with what, sources indicated, could be an eye to 2024.

Ramesh's remarks come after both Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Uttar Pradesh's Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) saying the two parties would stay away from both the Congress and the BJP, and indicating possible talks with other regional players ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Ramesh asserted that a strengthened Congress is necessary for any opposition alliance

No Opposition front to take on the BJP is possible without the Congress and if a coalition is formed for the 2024 general elections, the party will have a central role in it, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said.

Mamata Banerjee meets Akhilesh Yadav, set to call on Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik next week

"The Congress should not feel that it is the big boss of the opposition front," the TMC said.