Politics is, without a doubt, a bitter-sweet experience. And parties have long exploited the mango season to try to sweeten their ties. Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi fought a fierce war for Bengal. Even after Mamata was sworn in as Chief Minister, the squabbles between the state and the federal government continued. But when mango season arrived, she was quick to extend her seasonal greetings to New Delhi.
Last Monday, Mamata sent Bengal’s best mango types to Modi Himsagar, Malda, and Lakshmanbhog. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Home Minister Amit Shah also received the gift. She also sent mangoes to Sonia Gandhi, the Congress leader, and Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister.
The monsoon session of Parliament will be closely watched to see if Banerjee’s mango diplomacy helps sweeten the bitterness between the state and the Centre, which has persisted over political violence in Bengal, the Narada scam cases, chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay’s sudden transfer, and governor Jagdeep Dhankar.
