Who will talk to Mamata - Sonia or Pawar?

New Delhi: Margaret Alva, the joint opposition candidate for the post of Vice President, has appealed to Mamata Banerjee twice. She earlier said that this is not the time for arrogance or anger and Mamata should leave her displeasure and come with the opposition. After this she said that Mamata Banerjee has enough time to change her opinion. Keep in mind that the election of the Vice President is to be held on August 6 and the Trinamool Congress has decided not to participate in this election. The Trinamool Congress has 30 MPs in both the houses. In the presidential election, opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha got the votes of 208 MPs. If Trinamool’s 30 is subtracted from this, then Margaret Alva will get 178 votes or thereabout in the election of Vice President.

That is when there is concern in the opposition camp and it is being considered that after talking to Mamata Banerjee, she should be persuaded so that she participates in the voting. The question is, who will talk to Didi? There are two leaders in the opposition camp whom she respects. One is Sonia Gandhi and the other is Sharad Pawar. The problem with Sonia Gandhi talking is that Congress leaders have angered Mamata. State President and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has called her an agent of BJP. Secondly, Didi is also angry with the closeness of the Congress and the Left. Furthermore, Congress leaders have told her that even before deciding the candidate, Sonia Gandhi had spoken to Mamata twice and Didi had assured that she would support whomever the opposition makes its candidate. The other leader is Sharad Pawar, who can talk to Mamata Banerjee. After all, on the suggestion of Mamata, he had announced the name of Yashwant Sinha for the post of President and he also announced the name of Vice Presidential candidate Margaret Alva. Informed sources also say that Alva’s name has been decided by Pawar and she is being projected as Pawar’s candidate. According to sources in the Congress, Sharad Pawar proposed Alva’s name on his behalf and put pressure on the Congress leaders to accept her name.

Keep in mind that there is not a cordial relationship between the Congress high command and Alva. She, as general secretary, had accused party leaders over sale of tickets in Karnataka and later, in her book also, she commented on Rajiv Gandhi regarding the Shah Bano case. That’s why her name was not in the mind of the Congress high command. Pawar lobbied for her and made her a candidate, citing the assembly elections to be held in Karnataka next year. That’s why Congress leaders want Sharad Pawar to talk to Mamata Banerjee and make her join the voting.