BJP for WB package to woo Mamata

New Delhi: Not to leave anything to change, the BJP is mulling offering West Bengal a package to woo Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee and get her on board, in its attempt to form the ‘Modi Government’ at the Centre.

While there is momentum for Modi, the saffron party is not too sure whether it is enough to propel the NDA to majority, the party strategists are working on sops to woo different prospective Allies.

Since West Bengal has 25 per cent Muslims and as Bengal Assembly elections are slated for 2016, Mamata may not be in a rush to have her Union Ministers in the proposed Modi Government.

Instead, she may offer outside support, in return for a financial package.

Apart from the TMC, the BJP strategists are working on the BJD and AIADMK, as well. In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP is looking at the possibility of post-poll tie-up both in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Apart from Bengal, Mamata, the BJP is also looking at wooing Odisha CM and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, who is disillusioned by the UPA Government for not including the state in the Special Category status demand, when the Congress tried to reach out to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. The BJD is an anti-Congress party, which is why the BJP is banking on the BJD support at least in the post-poll scenario.

Tamil Nadu CM and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa is among the post-poll allies that the BJP is looking at. Already, the BJP has entered into a pre-poll alliance with five parties, including DMDK of Capt Vijay Kanth, PMK of Dr S Ramadoss and MDMK of Vaiko. Mamata had been a constituent of the NDA in the past, having held Railways in one tenure, while Coal during the second tenure in the Vajpayee Government.

In principle, Mamata has no objection for a tie-up with BJP.

However, in view of the State Assembly elections two years later, she is wary of openly joining the ‘Modi Government’ this year.