Mamata Banerjee postpones her Gujarat visit

, March 14: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister

on Friday postponed her next week's

visit, a development which comes in the backdrop of anti-corruption crusader

making a volte-face on supporting her in the Lok Sabha elections. Banerjee was scheduled to address a rally in Ahmedabad on March 20, along with Hazare.

Pravinsinh Jadeja, chief of Samata Party-Gujarat who met Banerjee in New Delhi today, informed about the development. Jadeja plans to merge his party with TMC. The TMC chief would not be able to make it to Gujarat on the scheduled day as, she told him, she would be busy with meetings, Jadeja said. "It seems that Gujarat has become the victim of events that took place in New Delhi. Banerjee has asked us to postpone the rally. In a few days, she will convey us a new date," Jadeja said.

Banerjee was supposed to address the rally along with Anna Hazare on March 20

"I went to Delhi today to meet her and discuss the issue. She told me that she will remain occupied in meetings for days to come and hence she asked me to postpone the rally in Ahmedabad," he said. Making a U-turn, Hazare said that he has decided not to support the West Bengal Chief Minister, saying that "some people who deceive" had got associated with her.

When asked whether Hazare would remain present for the planned rally, Jadeja said, "Both Hazare and Mamata are crucial for the emergence of alternative front in Gujarat. Since TMC is new in Gujarat and Hazare is a well-known figure, we cannot make any impact without him. Thus, we want both of them to come (for the rally)," he said.

PTI