New Delhi/Kolkata:
Mamata Banerjee may not have been able to persuade former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to run for another term, but she gave it her best shot. Her aggressive efforts on Facebook, and offline in the social network of coalition politics, have won her rich praise from the nuclear scientist. In a letter to her, Dr Kalam thanks her for her "graceful politics", signaled by her "courage and determination to sacrifice (the) golden political throne."
(Read Dr Kalam's letter)
Ms Banerjee posted his letter on her Facebook page, along with her reply. "I always maintain courage which stems from my struggle for the cause of the common people."
Dr Kalam announced yesterday that his conscience does not permit him to run for President of India against Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the candidate of the UPA. Ms Banerjee is a part of that coalition. That has not stopped her from disagreeing publicly with the government, or from threatening to exit over important policy decisions like increased foreign investment in retail. But the election for President brought her relationship with the Congress, which leads the UPA, to an all-time low. It also left her out in the cold.
Last week, Ms Banerjee paired with Mulayam Singh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, who provides external support to the UPA. They rejected Mr Mukherjee and suggested three names, including Dr Kalam, former speaker Somnath Chatterjee and the Prime Minister. The Congress was stung by the public insult to the PM. Ms Banerjee was stung harder by Mr Yadav's secret U-turn - he abandoned her and agreed to support the Congress and the Finance Minister. Since then, Ms Banerjee has been estranged from the UPA.
Last night, her ministers threatened to resign if they are forced to - a threat that was more of a whimper than a growl. The Congress, eager to prevent Ms Banerjee from exiting the UPA at a time when the government is confronting political and economic crises, said Ms Banerjee "was, is and will always be a valuable ally."