Dhaka :
The most talked about star of the show in Dhaka on Saturday was undoubtedly West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Not only did she preside over the historic exchange of instruments of ratification of the land boundary agreement (LBA), but also joined the two prime ministers to flag off buses from Dhaka to Agartala and another to Shillong.
Mamata’s flight to Dhaka from Kolkata Friday night was declared a “VIP” flight — and Dhaka airspace cleared for her.
When she landed, the first call was from Sheikh Hasina who requested her to stay behind for the state banquet for Modi on Saturday night. Mamata was returning to Kolkata after the official appointments. Mamata now will be part of the Indian delegation.
While Manmohan Singh brought with him a number of chief ministers from northeastern states, Mamata’s absence was striking. This time, Modi has given Mamata star billing by not including any other chief minister in his delegation, a piece of impressive political timing.
Mamata is not staying in the same hotel as Modi, but at a Radisson hotel 10 km from Sonargaon, the PM’s hotel.
Mamata is crucial for both the LBA and Teesta pacts to see the light of day. Modi has taken a leaf out of former PM I K Gujral’s book because the Ganga waters treaty, signed between India and a previous Hasina government was done with West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu at the helm. Modi is putting his cooperative federalism concept to work here.
Mamata cannot back the Teesta agreement until she shows a plan for north Bengal in place. She also cannot do it until the state elections in 2016. Until then, though, she and Modi are playing a very complex political tango where both have high stakes — Modi needs support in Rajya Sabha for his legislations and Mamata needs financial assistance and a leg up as she tries to regain the “bhadralok” vote in Bengal by delivering on investment, industry and infrastructure before the elections.
Mamata had been a guest of Hasina’s at the Februray 21 Language Day celebrations here where she had publicly stated that she would push both pacts. Hasina who has had an on-again-off-again relationship with Mamata, has decided to take her at her word, because the ultimate guarantor is Modi.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> India /by Indrani Bagchi, TNN / June 07th, 2015