When didi courted dada

Not so long ago, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had broken ranks with the ruling United Progressive Alliance and opposed Congress veteran Pranab Mukherjee’s candidature for president. When it became evident that the candidates her party, Trinamool Congress, was supporting were unlikely to win, she decided to back Mukherjee. Now that Mukherjee is ensconced in Rashtrapati Bhavan, Banerjee has clearly decided to go the extra mile to dissipate the rancour between them by adding a personal touch to a civic reception for him in Kolkata. Not only did she personally select the gifts that were presented to him, but she also shortlisted the artistes who were invited for the event. The warmth she displayed during his four-day visit to the capital addressing him as “Pranabda” and “a member of the family” proved the adage that in politics there are no permanent enemies.