Mamata to meet Maharashtra CM Uddhav, Sharad Pawar in Mumbai

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will leave for Mumbai on Tuesday to attend a programme of Young Presidents Organisation (YPO) and meet the top industrialists in the nation's financial capital.

Banerjee would also be meeting her Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and National Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar when no stones are being left unturned for formation of an "anti-BJP" force ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Trinamool Congress national general-secretary Abhishek Banerjee is also likely to visit Mumbai at the same time and would also join the meeting with Pawar.

The Chief Minister's visit to Mumbai comes crucial for two reasons. First of all she would be meeting the top industrialists to attract more investment in Bengal and she would be inviting them to the forthcoming Bengal Global Business Summit scheduled to be held on April 21 and 22.

The visit also bears an immense political significance as she would be holding meetings with the chiefs of both National Congress Party and Shiv Sena.

The YPO meeting would be held on Wednesday.

According to political experts, her visit to Mumbai would take the formation of a front of the Opposition political parties - to fight against the BJP in 2024 - another step ahead.

During her recent visit to Delhi, she said: "March to the Centre cannot be possible without the support of states". Her statement came after joining of senior and prominent leaders from different political parties to Trinamool Congress. Former Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, another former-Congressman and former Indian batsman Kirti Azad and former Rajya Sabha MP for Janata Dal United from Bihar Pavan Verma had joined Trinamool Congress in the national capital on Tuesday.

Sources said that there would be representatives from Bengal also in the industrialists' meet in Mumbai.

The Chief Minister would be highlighting the state's achievement in the past 10 years in the industry and commerce sector. With her aim to make Bengal number one in commerce and industry, Banerjee would also be highlighting the industry friendly steps taken up by her government starting from introduction of the ethanol policy to minimising the land requirement for setting up industrial parks to 5 acres to attract more investment.