Days after Nobel laureate Amartya Sen asserted that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee "has the ability" to be the next prime minister of the country, the TMC supremo responded saying "his advice was an order" for her.

Speaking to a news channel here on Sunday, Banerjee said that the economist is a "world-famous intellectual" and his "insight shows us the path". "His advice is an order for me. His insight and evaluation of the of the country's current situation should be taken seriously by all," Banerjee said.?

In an exclusive interview with PTI last week, the 90-year-old economist had said, "It's not that she does not have the ability to do it. She clearly has the ability (to be the PM). On the other hand, it has not yet been established that Mamata can pull the forces of public dismay against the BJP in an integrated way to make it possible for her to have the leadership to put an end to the fractionalisation in India." Sen has also asserted that it "would be a mistake" to think that the polls would be a one-horse race in favour of the BJP, underscoring the significance of parties such as the DMK, TMC and Samajwadi Party.

"If the BJP looks strong and powerful, it has a good deal of weaknesses too. I think other political parties will be able to come to a debate if they really try. I do not know enough to be able to dismiss the anti-BJP parties together," he said.