Sagarika Ghose: Hi there, yes, in just 48 hours we will know if Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is no longer part of the UPA government and if she is solely the Chief Minister of Bengal and the leader of a 19 member Trinamool Congress in Parliament. She may have destabilised the UPA but a number of politicians from Nitish Kumar to Bal Thackeray have praised her, and her popularity on social media is at the moment very high. By withdrawing from the UPA, has Mamata become the face of a new opposition, or has she damaged her future prospects. Joining us tonight Ruchir Joshi, writer and filmmaker. Sunanda K Datta-Ray, senior journalist. Dr Amiya K Chaudhuri, Sr Fellow of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS). Kavita Krishnan, Central Committee Member, CPI(ML). Sunanda K Datta-Ray, let us kick it off with you. Let us stand back and ask the question, is there a method in Mamata’s madness? Is she playing for a big political game, looking to increase her political cloud, or is this step going to set her back?
