Kharagpur (West Bengal), May 9 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday hailed his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee as a "Bengal tigress" and said she had "taught a lesson" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief attended Banerjee's election rally in West Midnapore district's industrial city of Kharagpur in support of her party Trinamool Congress' Lok Sabha candidate Manas Bhunia.

"Prime Minister Modi is creating problems across the country but West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taught him a lesson. 'Didi' is a Bengal tigress," Naidu said here, speaking in Bengali which evoked loud cheers from the Trinamool supporters.

He said West Bengal will play an "important role" in forming the new government at the Centre after the 2019 poll results.

"I have come here from Andhra Pradesh to meet you people. What Bengal thinks today, the country thinks tomorrow. Bengal will play an important role in this Lok Sabha election. You people will decide who will come to power at the Centre," he added.