Bengal CM's Punjab tour postponed

• Mamata Banerjee postpones Punjab visit scheduled for February 21 in solidarity with ongoing farmers' protest
• Decision taken after consultation with Arvind Kejriwal; prayers at Golden Temple and political meetings put on hold
• Visit seen as a potential step toward an informal alternative front; political parties affirm independent election strategies

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's scheduled visit to Punjab on February 21, including prayers at the Golden Temple in Amritsar and possible meetings with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, has been postponed in light of the ongoing farmers' protest. Banerjee, acknowledging the current circumstances, informed about the decision, stating that her priority is to stand with the farmers during their protest. The visit, initially seen as a political strategy, aimed at potential collaborations in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, has been put on hold.

Expressing solidarity with the farmers' demand for a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP), Mamata Banerjee had previously criticized the use of tear gas shells against protesters at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border. The decision to postpone the visit comes at a crucial time when both the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab have asserted their intentions to contest elections independently, hinting at the possibility of an informal alternative front. While political experts speculate on the emergence of such a front, party insiders have not provided any official indication.