Mamata Banerjee Changed: Why a Former Ally Says She's Beyond People's Reach

After floating his political outfit, Janata Unnayan Party, Kabir said, "Mamata Banerjee's leadership quality is surely unquestionable. I still consider and will continue to consider her as an able leader. But at the same time, I would say what Mamata Banerjee now is totally different from what she was 15 years back when she was in opposition."

He said that Mamata Banerjee had gone beyond the reach of common people, as she is always surrounded by government officials.

However, he was all praise for the Chief Minister's nephew and Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

"I have a soft corner for Abhishek Banerjee. He is a talented youth. In the coming days, he will be able to prove himself as a good politician, probably if he gets the freedom to implement his decisions," Kabir said.

Quite surprisingly, Kabir described the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, as an acceptable politician.

"Suvendu is an out-and-out political person. Maybe at times he makes some communal statements because of the compulsion of his association with the party that he belongs to now? But do not have any negative opinion about him," Kabir said.

Kabir also claimed that he is currently open to all "anti-Trinamool Congress" and "anti-BJP" forces for an alliance in the forthcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal scheduled next year to oust the current Trinamool Congress regime, and said that he will decide on the number of constituencies from where his party will field candidates next year, depending on circumstances.

"As of now, I am open for alliance with anti-Trinamool Congress and anti-BJP forces," he said.

- IANS