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Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee may have succeeded to convince Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC President Sonia Gandhi on his government's stand on industries on Sunday in the capital, but there is little chance for the CM to succeed in holding the much-awaited talks with his bete noire Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

Buddha repeated attempts to hold talks with Mamata by asking Trinamool Congress Legislature Party Partha Chatterjee to set it up has failed to yield any result.  Insiders said, Mamata would turn down any further attempt by the CM for talks–at least, till May.

"We understand the need for both of them to talk to ease tensions over industrial development in Bengal. After all, Buddha has to take Mamata into confidence for a peaceful development. However, I think it is going to be an eyeball to eyeball equation now, as the ice is yet to melt," said Partha.

Indeed, Buddha has to wait. Because, Mamata has told her confidants that she would not talk to Buddha until and unless he stops acquiring lands for industries.

"What is there to talk? I have not changed my stance or my demands. The CM is selling lies about Nandigram and Singur in Delhi. On last November 23, he said the government has acquired 954 acres of land from the farmers in Singur. On January 7 this year, he said the government has acquired 958 acres of land."

"…On February 23, the government told the court they have acquired 305 acres and then on March 27, the government affidavits mentioned only 287 acres. Which means the rest of the 997 acres of land required in Singur for the Tata Motors have been forcibly taken from the farmers," Mamata told HT.

But this is the political front Mamata is maintaining.

Insiders said, actually, Mamata wants to avoid talks with Buddha till the first round of panchayats and municipal elections are over in Bengal in May 2007. For, she is treating it as a testing ground of the impact of her movements for the farmers against forcible acquisition of lands by the State government.

"You cannot call this a referendum because in most of the areas where elections are being held, the state government has not acquired land. But of course, there is no guarantee that in the future the government will not acquire land there. However, it would be interesting to see what the people have to say against the Left Front government that is out to displace them from their lands," said Mamata.

Next month, the civic polls would be held in 367 gram-panchayats, 84 panchayat samities and 24 zilla parishads.  Also, elections would be held in the five municipalities of Durgapur, Dhubguri, Panskura, Nalhati and Ranaghat Coopers Camp.

Meanwhile, upset with Buddha's talks with Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi and their tacit support to him, Mamata has blown her fuse. Calling the Congress a betrayer and an anti-people force in Bengal, she has decided not to tie up with the Congress in this civic election.

Also, with Mamata failing to build bridges with Jamiat-e-Ulema-Hind leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury, who is leading a strong pro-farmer movement among the minorities against the Left front government, it is learnt that the Jamiat leader is going to tie up with the Congress in this polls.

"So the battle-lines are drawn. Mamata would lead the NDA coalition, Congress would head a progressive democratic front along with Siddiqullah Chowdhury and the CPI(M) spearheading the Left Front would benefit out of the polarisation of the right wing votes," said a sarcastic rebel Trinamool leader Sadhan Pande.

Email author: asarkar@hindustantimes.com