Tea party politics: Sonia believes Mamata won't be able to say 'no' to her

What was behind Sonia Gandhi’s invitation to opposition parties to a tea party on May 23? Apparently, the effort was to forestall invitations by others and ensure the Congress had the initiative. The first attempt to create a common front was taken by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Chandrababu Naidu, who reached out to all non-BJP parties including the Congress to hold a meeting on May 21 to address a strategy on May 23 .

However, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was markedly unenthusiastic  about the meeting, informing Naidu that she would have to stay confined