Mamata, Naidu bat for uniting regional parties

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu, on Wednesday, called for unity among regional parties.

This is a call that comes amid a growing non-BJP alliance taking shape ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Banerjee and Naidu arrived in Bengaluru on Wednesday afternoon to take part in JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy’s oath-taking ceremony.

“We’re very happy that Kumaraswamy is taking oath today. We congratulate the brothers and sisters of Karnataka. All regional parties are here to support Kumaraswamy. We will keep in touch for the development of people,” Banerjee told reporters at Vikas Soudha (the annexe to the grand Vidhana Soudha where Kumaraswamy will take the oath).

“Our mission and vision are clear. We can meet each other, we can talk to each in all states. That’ll be our strength,” she added.

Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party recently broke away from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), also stressed on unity among regional parties. “All regional parties are expressing solidarity with Kumaraswamy whose party is a regional party. In the future, we will work to protect ourselves,” Naidu said.

Both Banerjee and Naidu did not clearly answer questions on an anti-BJP front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "You are watching what we are doing. We want to promote regional parties and strengthen them,” Naidu remarked.