A day after mercurial West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was open to supporting her Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa for Prime Ministership, the AIADMK chief on Friday called her up and thanked her for her support, according to agency reports. The offer of support from an unexpected quarter kindled the enthusiasm of AIADMK cadre, who are working hard to see their leader occupy the top post. They are also happy about the bonhomie between the two leaders.
Veteran politician and senior party leader Panruti S Ramachandran feels that “this would give an impetus for national leadership by our Chief Minister”.
“It shows a positive development. West Bengal is a State with 42 MPs, i.e. more than that of Tamil Nadu and our Chief Minister has already been blessed with the support of leaders from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka. With West Bengal joining in, it would mean that southern and eastern India are coming together and this would be a formidable combination in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. It can also give an impetus for national leadership by our Chief Minister. It will pave the way for effective federalism,” Ramachandran said.
Trinamool Congress MP Sultan Ahmed said it indicated that Mamata’s vision of a Federal Front was a “growing force”. A senior AIADMK leader, who has wide experience in Delhi politics, said this support for Jayalalithaa “is a welcome development”.