Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee meet in Kolkata, decide to hold talks after May 23

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, a day after most of the exit polls predicted comfortable victory for BJP-led NDA. According to Trinamool Congress sources, both the leaders have decided detailed discussion with other opposition leaders after May 23, the day results will be declared. 

"Naidu, Mamata decide to hold a detailed discussion with other "Mahagathbandhan" leaders after the Lok Sabha poll results are declared on May 23, party sources privy to the development was quoted as saying by PTI. 

The Telugu Desam Party chief is gearing to firm up an anti-BJP faction ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results on May 23. He had met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. He also met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

Dubbing the exit polls “gossip”, Banerjee on Sunday said she doesn’t trust such surveys as the “game plan” is to use them for “manipulation” of EVMs.

Her remarks came after most exit polls forecast another term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with some predicting that the BJP-led NDA will get more than 300 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha.

On Saturday, hours after meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi and discussing with him the possibilities of all opposition parties uniting and forging a joint opposition alliance, Naidu met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati. 

The Andhra Pradesh chief minister also met CPI leader G Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja over breakfast, asking them to "come together". Naidu also met NCP chief Sharad Pawar, LJD leader Sharad Yadav.

The TDP chief has already held several rounds of discussions with various opposition leaders, including Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.