Mamata not to attend UPA dinner

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Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday declined to attend the dinner being hosted by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on the eve of Presidential elections.

Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel rang up Banerjee inviting her to the UPA dinner on July 18 but the Trinamool Congress chief said she would be unable to attend, TMC sources told.

The sources insisted it was not a boycott of the dinner but Banerjee would not be able to make it as she would be busy with a Trinamool Congress 'martyr's day' rally here on July 21 for which party workers would begin arriving from July 18.

Top Trinamool leaders have been asked to be present in the metropolis on July 18 a day before the presidential poll on July 19.

Trinamool Congress is yet to make public its stand on the Presidential poll candidate.

Banerjee had earlier stated that she would announce the party's decision three days before the election.

Banerjee has asked TC general secretary and Railway Minister Mukul Roy to attend the UPA meeting in Delhi on Saturday following a phone call from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday.