Mamata calls off her visit to TN in view of panchayat polls in WB

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is trying to cobble up an anti-BJP alliance ahead of the general elections next year, today called off her next week's visit to Tamil Nadu for meeting top leaders of the DMK in view of the panchayat elections in her state due in May.

According to a senior official at the state secretariat, the chief minister has expressed her willingness to visit Tamil Nadu after the panchayat elections in West Bengal are over.

"She has asked to call off her plans to visit Tamil Nadu scheduled next week. She may visit the state after the elections are over," the official said, adding Banerjee was very much concerned about the ongoing protests in the southern state over the Cauvery issue.

Panchayat polls in West Bengal is scheduled on May 1, 3 and 5. Results would be declared on May 8.

The Trinamool Congress chief was expected to meet DMK president M Karunanidhi and working president MK Stalin during her visit to Chennai.

Last month, Banerjee had visited New Delhi to meet senior leaders of prominent anti-BJP parties. She met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in addition to a host of other important leaders.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had met her in Kolkata recently. She has also met NCP chief Sharad Pawar, supremo Uddhav Thackeray and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal in pursuance of the political efforts.