Why Mamata Banerjee is holding back the Teesta pact

Of Bangladesh's more than 230 rivers, 57 are trans boundary and 54 of those flow through India

The stakes are high in the Teesta water-sharing pact, which still remains unresolved.

For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it would mean cementing ties with a friendly neighbour, which is Bangladesh; for Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, it could mean a comeback to power in 2018; for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, an understanding could go a long way in improving the present near-hostile Centre-state relations.

Banerjee is the lone hurdle to the Teesta pact, though since 2011, many a time it seemed that the agreement would be signed.

In September 2011, for instance, it was almost a done deal. But at the