Advani snubs Mamata, to skip Kolkata Gate programme

NEW DELHI: The rapproachment between Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Deputy PM L K Advani appears to be short-lived. Less than a week after Mamata sought to build bridges with Advani, the deputy PM backed off from inaugurating the controversial Kolkata Gate project, the brainchild of Trinamool-controlled municipal corporation.
The programme was slated for July 6 when Advani is to visit Kolkata for the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee birth centenary celebrations.Advani''s visit is still on and his other programmes in the city remain unchanged.
Among these is the special function organised to inaugurate Swami Vivekanada''s restored house, which happens to be in the constituency of Mamata''s arch rival and party colleague Sudeep Bandhopadaya. Although this is an official function, it is being billed as Sudeep''s programme since he is the sitting MP and, more importantly, he is known to be close to Advani.
In fact, it is Advani who has been pushing for Sudeep''s inclusion in the Union Cabinet, knowing it will not be liked by Mamata. At the same time, he has been resisting Mamata''s re-entry into the government on grounds of her unpredictable temperament and waning popularity.
During the last reshuffle, it was the deputy PM who suggested that Sudeep be given a ministerial berth. Consequently, an enraged Mamata refused a Cabinet post.
The Trinamool chief,however, sought to make peace with the NDA leaders when she especially called on Advani and defence minister George Fernandes earlier this week. Advani, it is learnt, had assured Mamata that he had no objections to her inclusion in the Cabinet.
Advani''s decision to back out from the Kolkata Gate project and to attend the function in Sudeep''s constituency has fuelled speculation that the truce between Mamata and deputy PM may well be short-lived.
Sources close to Advani were at pains to explain that there was no political reason be read into this development. Advani, they maintained, decided not to lay the foundation stone for this project as it had become controversial and that it had not been given environmental clearances.
Mamata''s camp, on the other hand, is both furious and embarrassed, particularly because of Advani''s decision to attend the function in Sudeep''s constituency. Her aides sought to put the blame on the Left Front state government, saying it had deliberately sabotaged this programme as it did not want Mamata and Advani to be seen on the same platform.