Not meeting Mamata Banerjee, says NCP Chief Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday denied reports of him meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and hosting a dinner for the Opposition leaders.

“There is no meeting, there is no dinner,” news agency ANI quoted Pawar as saying.

Earlier, there were reports that the Mamata will attend a dinner hosted by the NCP chief in Delhi on Tuesday evening.

Banerjee, who reached Delhi on Monday for a four-day visit is also expected to meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at his residence on Wednesday.

There is no meeting, there is no dinner: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar on question whether there will be a dinner meeting with West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee #Delhi pic.twitter.com/Sz6bQfTOJ7

— ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2018

The Bengal CM, who shares a healthy relationship with Sonia, termed the meeting "strictly personal visit". However, it was not clear whether she will also meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Mamata’s expected meeting with Sonia comes days after she met with Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who is keen to form a federal front minus the BJP and the Congress.

However, Mamata is unlikely to support any scheme against the BJP that keeps the Congress out of it.

“In politics, situations sometimes allow everyone to come and work together. I have faith in democracy. It is best to work along with everyone,” Mamata had said after meeting Rao.