First time after Bengal polls, Mamata to leave for Delhi today

KOLKATA: All eyes will remain set at the nation's Capital for the next few days as Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit Delhi for the first time after her party's landslide victory in the recently-held state polls.

Banerjee is scheduled to leave for Delhi on Monday afternoon after holding a special Cabinet meeting at the state secretariat — Nabanna. The special Cabinet meeting is scheduled to begin at 1 pm. In one of the most crucial developments in the nation's politics before her visit to Delhi, Banerjee has been announced as the chairperson of the Parliamentary Party of the Trinamool Congress.

This comes amid the Pegasus spyware row. Trinamool Congress decided to continue its protest in the Parliament till both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister Amit Shah give their statements in connection to the controversy.

Banerjee is scheduled to meet senior leaders of Opposition political parties during her visit to Delhi. She also has an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 28. On the same day, she would be holding a meeting with different leaders of anti-BJP political parties. Trinamool Congress chairperson has also convened a meeting of all MPs on the same day during her stay in New Delhi. MPs of both the Houses have been asked to attend the meeting that will take place at the state government's guest house at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi.

In connection with her visit to Delhi, Banerjee had earlier said: "I have not visited Delhi since the Assembly elections in the state were over. I usually go once when the Parliament remains in session as I get the opportunity to meet the old and new friends. This time it did not happen yet due to the state's Covid situation. Now, I will go as the situation in the state has improved". Banerjee has extended her full support to the agitation of farmers demanding withdrawal of farm-Laws. She had also repeatedly pulled up the Centre for abnormal hikes in fuel prices and even wrote to the Prime Minister demanding withdrawal of taxes on petroleum products to give relief to common people. In such a situation, her visit to Delhi bears immense significance in national politics, said a political analyst.