Trinamul Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday became sentimental while referring to her long association with UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee.
“After the 2009 elections, I, on behalf of our party, handed him the letter to support the UPA which later benefited him (on becoming the Union finance minister). But I don’t have any contact with him for the last eight months. I don’t know why. I don’t have quarrel with anybody. I had invited him for a tea party at the Writers’ Buildings.
"But he did not come, maybe he did not find time. I hope that he will come after electing as the President. But I want to forget the old chapter. I don’t want any bitterness. We want to see him as the next President,” Banerjee said.
Speaking to reporters, she also virtually acknowledged that even if the Trinamul Congress does not vote for Mukherjee then also he would win the election.
“We have 50,000 votes. If we abstain, then also he will get 50,000 additional votes. If we vote for him, then he will get additional one lakh votes,” the Trinamul Congress chief said.