Kolkata: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday indicated that she was open to working with AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa or BSP leader Mayawati in the post poll scenario, but dismissed any possibility of supporting a Narendra Modi-led government.
“I have no problem. I don’t bother the chair, I care for the people,” Banerjee told Times Now news channel when asked whether she would give support to Jayalalithaa if she wanted to be the Prime Minister.
Asked whether she, Jayalalithaa and Mayawati, together might have the numbers but could not work together given their strong personalities and temperaments, she said “you will appreciate that under Vajpayee’s leadership we worked together. So who says we cannot work together? We may work together. Strong personalities can work strongly for the country.”
When told that people think that there would be squabble among the three strong leaders, Banerjee said “there will be nothing. From my side I can assure there will be no scuffle.”
Asked whether she would be happy remaining Chief Minister of West Bengal and supporting a government from outside, she said, “I am working here. For 34 years there were so many problems. No development took place. I am happy with my position.”
Asked that in any combination where TMC would a part, that would require support from either the BJP or Congress to form the government, whose support she would prefer, the fiery TMC leader said “Please wait and see. After the election results it will be decided.”
On whether she has prime ministerial ambition, Banerjee evaded a direct reply saying “I know my limitations. After the results are out, people will decide.”
Asked whether she would give support to Narendra Modi if in a post-poll scenario that would help him form the government, Banerjee categorically said “I will not. We cannot support communal forces.”
Reminded that she had not withdrawn support to NDA after the Gujarat riots, she said “We demanded Narendra Modi’s resignation as chief minister and demanded that the government should go.” She claimed that Trinamool Congress protested against the Modi government in the Parliament after the riots.
Asked about Modi’s praise for her at a rally in Kolkata last month, she said “He has been doing this very cleverly. He is saying that you stay in your state and not go out. That’s why I am saying if he had come to Kolkata, I can go to Delhi.”
Asked whether she would give support to the Congress, she said “I will not. They have lost all credentials, all credibility. They have not given us anything.
She also brushed aside the Third Front being propagated by the Left as ‘a tea party’.
Asked whether she was not criticising Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi to keep options open, Banerjee said “he is a junior person. I will not answer any personal question. Ask about the party.” (PTI)