Kolkata: The suspense on whether the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will participate in Mamata Banerjee’s mega ‘Federal Front’ show or not is finally over.
BSP chief Mayawati has decided to send senior party leader Satish Chandra Mishra to join the anti-BJP chorus in Kolkata on January 19 and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) also received a confirmation from the BSP’s Lucknow office. Earlier, there was speculation that Mayawati would not send anyone for the public meeting.
Speaking exclusively to News18, BSP MP and its All India General Secretary, Satish Chandra Mishra, said, “Yes, I am attending Mamata ji’s public meeting in Kolkata on January 19. The decision was taken today by our party chief because we were busy with her birthday celebrations.”
He added, “I will reach Kolkata on the morning of January 19 (day of the event) and come back in the evening. I am not staying back in Kolkata.” Asked why BSP has decided to participate in the mega show, he said, “Everything will be told on the day of the rally.”
However, the BSP’s West Bengal president Manoj Howlader said he is not aware of Mishra’s participation. “Ideally, I should know but I am not aware whether he is coming to Kolkata or not,” he told News18.
The other leaders who confirmed their participation are: Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda, Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, Babulal Marandi of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), Former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie, RLD Chief Ajit Singh, National Conference’s (NC) Farooq Abdullah, DMK President MK Stalin, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Telangana CM and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K Chandrashekar Rao (who is calling for a non-BJP and non-Congress front) and CPI are non-committal about their participation.
With BJP’s recent electoral defeats in three states, Mamata is looking forward to playing an important role in fighting the saffron brigade in general elections.
At present, the TMC has 34 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats (two party MPs were recently expelled on disciplinary grounds). But this time, Mamata is working on winning all 42 seats.
The TMC chief is eager to form the ‘Federal Front’ and has requested all regional party leaders to join the January 19 meet. The entire city will turn in to a fortress as more than 5,000 police personnel will be deployed for the event. Twenty ambulances will also be positioned around the venue.
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