Mamata elected TMC legislature party leader, stakes claim to form govt

Mamata Banerjee, who spearheaded Trinamool Congress' return to power with a massive mandate in assembly polls, was on Friday unanimously elected the leader of the party's legislature group, setting the stage for her becoming the chief minister for a second consecutive tenure.

Banerjee will be sworn in on May 27.

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee, who was re-elected from Behala Paschim seat, proposed Mamata Banerjee's name for the TMC legislature party leader which was seconded by all the newly-elected MLAs of the party at a meeting of the legislators in Kolkata.

Banerjee later met Governor K N Tripathi at Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form the new government.

After meeting the governor, Banerjee said "May 20 is an auspicious day because it was on this day in 2011 our government took oath after the 'poribortan' (change)... So we have come to meet the governor and give him a letter on behalf of our party."

TMC leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Subrata Bakshi, Saugata Roy and Mukul Roy accompanied her to Raj Bhavan.

Banerjee, who met all newly-elected MLAs of the party at her residence, exhorted them to reach out to the people.

"At the meeting our leader Mamata Banerjee told us to reach out to the masses as their is no place for complacency. She said those who were defeated, lost due to their arrogance and advised us to be down to earth," a TMC MLA who was present at the meeting said.

TMC sources said the party has decided that it would aim to play a deciding role in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"Our aim is now 2019 Lok Sabha polls, so our party leadership has decided that after this year's Durga Puja, we will work towards that. Our leaders will frequently visit Delhi," sources said.