Rare Bonhomie at Mamata's Kali Puja as Bengal Governor Hugs Opponents, Relishes Homemade Sweets

Kolkata: Leaving aside the serial run-ins with the West Bengal government, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday attended Kali puja celebrations at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's south Kolkata residence, and said he was "glad to be there" and relished "very good" homemade sweets.

There was no trace of any bitterness as Banerjee herself received the Governor, who was accompanied by his wife Sudesh, and introduced him to her family members and ministers present there.

Dhankhar was seen greeting Banerjee's sister-in-laws with folded hands before hugging Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who had led the Trinamool's verbal assaults against him. Dhankhar had also in the past criticised the functioning of the Education Department.

Banerjee then took Dhankhar inside the house located at Kalighat, and seated him in her room.

The Chief Minister's nephew and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee was also seen exchanging pleasantries with the Governor, who spent two hours there. Banerjee was heard telling Dhankhar that late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee — in whose cabinet she was a minister — as also another BJP stalwart LK Advani had visited her residence.

The Governor later said he and his wife felt "very blessed" to attend the puja which Banerjee has been organising since 1978. "Me and my wife... went to attend he rpuja, and we were there for two hours. We had a good meeting. We also spend some time with her in the room she occupies.

"We felt very blessed that we could see a puja that is operational since 1978... She offered us sweets, very good sweets, that were homemade. And they were not of sugar, but of molasses. So my wife loved them, i loved them. And while we were coming out, the chief minister had sent more sweets," Dhankhar said later.

The Governor also said he has asked for a CD of songs composed by Banerjee which were being played in the puja premises.

The Governor had written to the Chief Minister a few days ago that he wanted to visit her house on October 29 on the occasion of "Bhai Dooj" (Brothers' Day). Banerjee, who was then away on a north Bengal tour, later wrote back on her return inviting the Dhankhars to her residence for Kali Puja.