Mamata, Uddhav on same page

Mumbai: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday called on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Trident Hotel in Mumbai.

"His political party has its own ideology. Despite being in the NDA, they are criticising (the government)... this is a big thing. What Uddhav is doing is the right thing," Banerjee told the media in Mumbai after Thackeray, along with his son Aaditya, called on Mamata Banerjee at around 2.30 pm. They held a closed door meeting that lasted for more than half an hour. Uddhav Thackeray described it as a "courtesy call."

Mamata Banerjee has been very critical of the Narendra Modi government for the past one year since the note ban was announced on November 8, 2016.

Describing the meeting as fruitful, the Chief Minister said: "Meeting was good. I know them very well. Even when demonetisation started, when we met President of India, he (Uddhav) sent his representative. We discussed demonetisation, GST, present situation of fixed deposits. We discussed about the common people."

"The entire country is unhappy (post demonetisation). We had first warned about demonetisation and hasty implementation of GST... the common man is suffering. We are trying to go to Gujarat. We are supporting (the common man in) Gujarat... about a lakh of people in Surat have lost their jobs.

"Even people in Mumbai told us about their problems. We are not contesting the election in Gujarat but whoever is contesting the polls, we will tell people not to vote for the BJP. We don't support them... that (our stand) is ideologically backed," she said.

Banerjee has been highlighting the loopholes of GST, terming it as the biggest scam. She has also spoken against the intervention of the Centre in the affairs of various state governments and said it will "destroy the federal structure of the country."

The Shiv Sena, on the other hand, has not been on good terms with the BJP lately, and is believed to be eyeing political alliances outside the saffron party.

Political experts state that in the core committee meeting that was held recently, Banerjee had said that she did not want any power in Delhi but would support other parties to dislodge the BJP.

Later in the evening on Thursday, the Chief Minister also met Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director, JSW Group, at his residence.

Banerjee, who is in Mumbai since Tuesday, has met top industrialists and bankers ahead of the fourth edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit, to be held in Kolkata in January, 2018.