May cooperate on GST but have ideological differences with BJP: Mamata

Kolkata, May 19 (IANS) Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday made it clear that while her party had "ideological differences" with the BJP, her party could cooperate with the Narendra Modi government on the passage of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill.

"We have ideological differences with the BJP but if there are matters which will help people, we can cooperate," Banerjee said in her maiden post-victory press conference when asked about Trinamool’s role in allowing passage for the stalled GST bill in parliament.

The Trinamool has favoured passage of the GST bill and also mentioned it in its manifesto during the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2011 assembly elections.

Banerjee also lashed out at the BJP for its divisive "Hindu-Muslim politics".

On her party’s relations with Congress at the national level, she said: "You should ask this question to them, they joined hands with the Left to fight us."

Trinamool and Congress had successfully fought the 2011 assembly elections that led to the ouster of the Left Front.

Asked about her role in a future Third Front, Banerjee avoided a direct reply and merely said: "Agey agey dekhiye kya hota hae (Wait and see how things unfold)".

She termed the election results as "the magic of common people’s power … magic of Ma, Mati, Manush".