Kanhaiya's 'campaign' will not affect TMC prospects: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Mar 5: Amid speculation that JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar would campaign for the Left parties in the five poll-bound states including West Bengal, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday said it would "not have any impact" on the prospect of her party.

"Let them come. How does it matter? It is a democratic country. Anyone can come for campaigning. It will not have any impact on the prospect of TMC," the West Bengal chief minister said.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday said in Delhi that Kumar, as a Left activist, will "campaign" for the Left parties in the five states where elections are due this year.

West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will go to polls in April and May. Kumar is a leader of All India Students' Federation, the students' wing of CPI.

"Our people also fought for them in Parliament," she said referring to the the party MPs who protested against the government action on Kumar in Parliament.

"Let them think about Kerala first. I have decided to go to Kerala and expose the nexus between Congress and CPI(M)," she said.

Talks are on about a tie-up between Congress and CPI(M) for the Assembly polls in West Bengal but the two parties are rivals in Kerala which will also go to polls.

PTI