Mamata rejects BJP's attempt to rope in TMC on coalgate scam

BJP's attempts to rope in Trinamool Congress in its attack against the government over the CAG report on coal blocks allocation have failed with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee rejecting the move.

In its campaign of seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation on the coal blocks issue, BJP is understood to have appealed to the TMC to join its fight.

Sources said BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain and Rajiv Pratap Rudy had a "chance meeting" with TMC leader Mamata Banerjee at the Delhi airport late last evening when the two leaders are understood to have sought TMC's support for its campaign against  "corruption" in the UPA government and in cornering the government over the recent CAG reports.

Sources close to Banerjee said "there is nothing serious" in the discussions and  party chief has rejected the BJP request for siding with it. "We are not going with BJP," said a senior TMC leader.

Though the BJP leaders admitted having met Mamata Banerjee, they termed the meeting as a "chance meeting" and said there was no political talk during the meeting.

Hussain said, "It was a chance meeting as Mamata Banerjee has been our former colleague in the NDA."

Earlier confirming the meeting, a close aide of Banerjee said, "The BJP leaders had discussed certain issues with Mamata Banerjee including TMC's stand on coalgate scam."

The party has been stalling Parliament for the last two days on the coal blocks allocation issue