Mamata blasts Kesri, loses CWC berth

By antagonising party chief Sitaram Kesri yet again, Mamata Banerjee has virtually lost her chance of becoming a Congress Working Committee member.

Congress sources said Ahmed Patel called on Banerjee on Sunday, inviting her to meet Kesri at the party chief's home in Delhi. The stormy petrel of the West Bengal Congress party called on Kesri and discussed several issues concerning the organisation with him for 90 minutes. The issue of her induction into the CWC was also discussed.

Immediately after the meeting, Banerjee went to shoot for Rajat Sharma's television programme, Janata Ki Adalat for the Star Plus channel, where she shot off her mouth again.

Knowing Kesri's anti-saffron outlook -- he has vowed not to have any understanding with the Bharatiya Janata Party -- she went full throttle in her praise of that party. And, as if to needle the Congress chief further, she said the BJP was not a communal party. ''Most parties have communal inclinations in one way or another,'' she said.

Banerjee also told the television show that she was waiting to be expelled from the party. ''I will distribute sweets the day I am expelled,'' she said.

The last straw seems to be her statement that she would introduce a private member's bill in Parliament, debarring all persons over 65 years of age (Kesri is of uncertain vintage; he is either in his late seventies or in his early eighties) from contesting elections.

Realising that the statement was directed against him, Kesri decided not to pardon ''his daughter''. He has already briefed Sonia Gandhi -- Banerjee's champion -- on the developments.

However, he is against taking any disciplinary action against the West Bengal leader. Given her current belligerence, the Congress chief feels it would be better to leave her alone.

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