West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee never misses a chance to criticise India's central government, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is her target on almost every issue. Yet despite countless disagreements and political bitterness, she has sent the prime minister a gift of delicious mangoes. And not only to India's prime minister: Mamata Banerjee has also sent mangoes to Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Indian President Droupadi Murmu has also received mangoes from the Trinamool supremo. West Bengal mangoes were also sent as gifts to Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and the chief justice of the Supreme Court, DY Chandrachud.

According to sources, baskets of Lakshmanbhog, Himsagar, Fazli and Langra mangoes were neatly boxed and sent to New Delhi.

The custom is nothing new. Mangoes are sent from West Bengal to the Indian prime minister's office every year, and Mamata has kept up the practice for about 12 years.

In keeping with the tradition, the West Bengal chief minister has also given mangoes to Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

She has also sent high-quality mangoes, along with her good wishes, to Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of India's neighbour Bangladesh.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.