Mamata calls up 'young' Hardik, congratulates him for election exploits

Mamata said she would also call up the young Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor for their 'positive show' in the polls

Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at the flagging off event for a fleet of new passenger buses and fire brigade vehicles, in Howrah near on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)
Press Trust of India Kolkata
2 min read Last Updated : Jan 09 2020 | 1:31 PM IST
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday called up Patidar leader Hardik Patel and congratulated him for his "tremendous work" in the Gujarat Assembly election, the results of which were announced yesterday.

"He (Patel) has done so well (in the Gujarat election) at a young age. I called him up to congratulate him for the feat," she told reporters at the state secretariat here.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said she would also call up the young Dalit leader of Gujarat Jignesh Mevani and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor for their "positive show" in the polls.

Also Read

Patel, Mevani and Thakor had thrown up a tough challenge to the ruling BJP in the Gujarat polls. While Thakor won on a Congress ticket and Mevani as an Independent, 24-year-old Patel's Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) had backed the Congress candidates.

Banerjee had yesterday said the Gujarat poll outcome was a moral defeat for the BJP and that the people of the state had "belled the cat for 2019".

She had congratulated the people of Gujarat for their "very balanced verdict" and said it was a face-saving win for the BJP.

The TMC chief, who has often been strident in her criticism of the BJP, had recently hailed Congress president Rahul Gandhi for "putting the BJP on the backfoot".

The BJP fought off a strong challenge from Congress to win the Gujarat Assembly polls for the sixth successive time yesterday and also wrested power from the Congress in Himachal Pradesh with a close to two-thirds majority.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :Mamata Banerjee

First Published: Dec 19 2017 | 9:28 PM IST

Next Story