Nirendra Dev
New Delhi: She was dictating terms and pulling up members (read strings) from Kolkata; and hence, for practical reasons, it would not make much difference.
Is this like preparing for a situation when Mamata Banerjee will be no longer the Chief Minister?
The roots are in the Congress, and thus the guiding ideology revolves around the same sycophancy and dictatorial approach.
The Trinamool Congress has named its party boss, Mamata Banerjee, as chairperson of the parliamentary party. She was dictating terms and pulling up members (read strings) from Kolkata; and hence, for practical reasons, it would not make much difference.
She is still a non-MLA Chief Minister and is now crowned as non-MP 'chairperson of parliamentary party.'
Who said the truth could not be stranger than fiction?
But it makes amply clear that Mamata Banerjee is eyeing a more significant national role! Beware Rahul Gandhi and Left parties.
This may be a small price for 'turning' Zero-MLA strong forces in the West Bengal assembly.
"Sky is the limit…," a party veteran Sisir Adhikari had said in 2012 during the UPA days.
Ironically, Sisir Adhikari and his children are no longer her admirers.
“One comes to Parliament elected, bows down at the doorsteps as did Narendra Modi in 2014 and then influences and usurps power. The other person first seizes power as Sonia Gandhi did in 1998 and becomes a lawmaker! ”
To many, there is no difference between the two, and hence Mamata has proved to which school of political principles she belongs.
“We are just formalising a reality….," her Man, on Friday, Rajya Sabha floor leader for TMC, Derek O' Brien could not have been more candid.
She remains 'power hungry' was proved once she decided to make herself the Chief Minister even after she was handed over a convincing defeat at the hands of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
This was an occasion of taking high moral ground, and she could have nominated someone among her elected legislators. But one is not sure what would have happened to 'disgruntled' ones!
To cite an instance of her control over the party MPs, during the peak of Lokpal debate; she was furious to witness Biju Janata Dal MP Bhartruhari Mahtab's debate on TV wherein the anti-state governments provisions were highlighted.
Mamata pulled up her party MP Kalyan Banerjee for missing the point on how the Lokpal Bill drafted by the Manmohan Singh government, was the anti-federal structure of the constitution.
Now, she wants to make it big nationally. In 2013, Mamata Banerjee had tried, and the game had boomeranged after her rally along with Anna Hazare turned into a poor-turnout damp squib affair.
Hazare himself stayed away after seeing the poor turnout, and she had addressed a rally with few people and 'empty chairs.'
Paradoxically, Mukul Roy was blamed for the flip-flop.
“But the 2021 May election outcome has rekindled the same old ambition. Mind you, as West Bengal chief minister, in 2012, she initially steadfastly opposed the idea of Pranab Mukherjee as the country's 'first president' from the state. ”
But now she wants to play 'Khela hobey' nationally incidentally, the slogan is a borrowed concept from neighbouring Bangladesh.
More than just a 'tactical' move before her arrival to Delhi on Monday, July 26; the Trinamool move to make her 'chairperson' of the parliamentary wing has a definite political element as well.
There is already speculation on how she and her aides would react if the ensuing by-elections to seven seats in the state are not held due to COVID-19.
Constitutionally she has to step down as she is now a non-MLA Chief Minister though basking at her 200-plus seats win.
"So, this is a move to accommodate her politically with a dignified role in parliamentary party. Trinamool is preparing for a situation when she is no longer the Chief Minister," remarked a BJP leader in West Bengal; who understands Trinamool Congress chief's mindset.
A few decades back, at the global level sceptics spoke about Arab socialism and Scientific socialism; like many other parties run by former Congress leaders, Mamata also latches on to 'politics of sycophancy' and yes – to her bitter detractors – it is a backdoor entry for a front-rank leader!
