Chandrababu Naidu meets Mamata Banerjee in Howrah, announces postponement of Opposition conclave in Delhi

KOLKATA: Telugu Desam Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday arrived in Kolkata to discuss details of forming a non-BJP alliance with the like-minded parties ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Naidu later met his West Bengal counterpart and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Howrah in the evening, according to ANI.

#WestBengal: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu meets West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Howrah. pic.twitter.com/ct4aQzZYGG — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018

Naidu had reached Kolkata in the afternoon from where he left for Nabanna where he was received by Mamata Didi herself.

Kolkata: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu reaches Nabanna; he was received by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. pic.twitter.com/SDAjR6CLvT

— ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2018

Following his meeting with Mamata, the TDP president announced the postponement of a November 22 opposition conclave in Delhi to chalk out details of the proposed anti-BJP front.

Emerging from an hour-long meeting with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee here, Naidu told reporters that the fresh date for the meeting of non-BJP parties will be announced very soon.

Flanked by the Trinamool Congress chief, Naidu attacked the NDA government at the Centre alleging that institutions like the CBI, ED, Income Tax department, RBI and CAG are under "severe pressure".

Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments had on Friday withdrawn the 'general consent' accorded to the CBI to conduct probe and raids in their states.

"We wanted to meet on November 22 earlier because of the elections... We wanted to make it before Parliament (winter) session.

"Those who are opposing the BJP will join and discuss. We will chalk out a programme to move forward take this momentum further on the agenda to protect the nation," the Telugu Desam Party chief said, adding the fresh date for the meeting will be decided very soon.

Ahead of meeting the West Bengal Chief Minister, Naidu had earlier held crucial discussions with Janata Dal-Secular chief and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and DMK chief MK Stalin over the possibility of forging a Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance of secular parties.

Mamata Banerjee was possibly the first non-BJP leader who tried to unite the Opposition ever since the Centre took the move to ban the old currency notes of high denomination.

Even at that point in time, she had reached out to CPI-M's Sitaram Yechiry for holding a joint protest against the Centre's move.

Mamata had earlier mooted the theory of one-to-one fight against the Narendra Modi-powered BJP.

''Whoever is strong in whichever area should fight out the BJP and others should support that party,'' she had suggested.

However, Mamata 'didi' has still not confirmed whether she will attend the big Magathbandhan meeting on November 22 or send some representative.

Mamata has, meanwhile, called a meeting in Kolkata on January 19 where she has invited big political players of the country.

Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, MK Stalin and several others have given their consent to take part in the grand anti-BJP show in Kolkata.