‘Secret truce’ helping Left return in Bengal?
WINDS OF CHANGE Left’s claim that the PM and Mamata have an understanding in shielding TMC’s tainted legislators seems to be touching a chord with people, helping it chart new routes
KOLKATA: On April 18, a day after CBI filed an FIR in the Narada sting case, the CPI(M) and its Left Front partners hurriedly organised a rally in Kolkata. The result was unexpected.
“From where did they get so many people? Isn’t the Left a spent force? I am caught in traffic for two hours,” Indranil Banerjee ,a private firm executive, wrote on Facebook as traffic came toast and still in the heart of the city.
What office-goers like Banerjee didn’t know was that the huge turn out at such a short notice had caught even some of the Marxist apparatchiks by surprise.
In the next two days, thousands of Left supporters poured in to join the processions in Bengal’s districts — including in places where the front barely exists — demanding interrogation “in CBI custody” of the 12 Trina moo ll ea de rs named in the FIR for receiving cash in the sting.
In sharp contrast, fewer people came out when Trina moo l leaders hit the Kolkata streets alleging the FIR a “political conspiracy” against Mamata Banerjee, or when pro-BJP intellectuals convened a public meeting.
The Marxists are aware that ever since she painted Bengal green (Trinamool’s colours) in 2011, Mamata Banerjee is facing a challenge that cannot be countered solely with electoral strength.
In all the major polls, the CPI(M)’ s performance was decimated and hit an alltime low and the party has been losing ground to the B JP, a phenomenon Ben gal never witnessed before.
Yet, wherever the Left parties are hitting the streets, demanding the arrest of the tainted TMC leaders, the streets are filling up.
The CB I probe ordered by the Calcutta High Court appears to have come as a boon for it. While attacking the Trinamool, the Marxists are also able to take on the saffron outfit as BJP, ruling at the Centre, holds the reins of the CBI.
The central investigation agency’ s failure to establish corruption charges against Trina moo ll ea de rs seen in videos that have been certified as authentic by forensic experts, will be a double bonanza for the Left, at a time when they are struggling to hold onto their old fort sin Ben gal.
No wonder, they have upped the ante by focusing on “a secret understanding between Modi and Didi (as Mamata is referred to)”, and simultaneously demanded a meeting of the Parliament’ s ethics committee to discuss the fate of tainted Trinamool MPs.
“The Trina moo land B JP play supplementary roles for each other. While the CB I probe into S ar ad ha and Rose Valley ch it funds cams move at snail’ space, Trinamool leaders remain absent from Rajya Sabha when the BJP places antipeople bills. It is a convenient arrangement ,” CPI( M) general secretary Sit ar am Yechury told a rally in Coo ch Be hart own of north Bengal on April 22.
The huge crowd that had gathered at the Rashmela grounds there was standing in slush and muddy water, a day after the town received the season’ s first thunder shower. Clearly, there is a change in how the wind blows.
But can the Left use the Na rad a sting to its advantage in the crucial panchayat elections in 2018?
The CPI(M), in the last couple of months, has won some co-operative and trade union elections, and this has given some reason for strategists at Muzaffar Ahmed Bhawan, headquarters of the Bengal CPI(M), to chart new routes —to focus on the sting.
Whatever the outcome, the CBI may take months or even years to complete the investigation, feel the leaders, and the Left parties have to generate enough organisational strength to keep up the spirits of the rank and file.
But in Bengal’ s long history, polls have been won are either won by force or, if held freely, villagers favour those who can deliver and serve their basic interests. An alleged corruption scam is unlikely to become a deciding factor at the panchayat level.
In 2016 too, the sting videos went public just before the assembly elections, and despite all the hype, Mamata Banerjee came out with flying colours. Even the S ar ad ha and Rose Valley ch it funds cams, which affected people in the districts, seemed tohave had no-effect on the electorate.
“But that was because the tapes became public too close to the polls and hype was mainly created by the media. We practically had no time to build up a fresh campaign right down to the village level ,” argued C PI( M) Lok Sabha MP and Politburo member Md Salim.
“Moreover, the tapes were released by the B JP and the television channels categorically said their authenticity had not been verified. This created confusion and suspicion among millions of people who had voted for the Trinamool in 2011. Hence, they decided to put their trust in the Trina moo l’ s‘ conspiracy’ theory ,” he said.
“Besides, Ma mata Ban er jeep rote ct ed her scam-tainted leaders. She appealed to voters to have faith in her, instead of looking at the candidates .“The situation is quite different now. She is openly defending the FIR-named leaders.
“People of Bengal have always been rational. Now they know that the video footages are authentic and even the Supreme Court has up held the high court order on CBI probe. That’s why they are joining our rallies in large numbers. Even the huge turnout at the B JP’ sR am Nava mi programme was an expression of discontent against Trina moo l Congress ,” Salim reasoned.
However, winning the votes will be much more of at ask compared to winning hearts as many Left leaders, including Salim, fear that the panchayat polls will witness unprecedented violence.
“Going by what we have observed since 2011, the Trinamool will definitely use force to stop Left candidates from contesting. And, this void will be filled up by the BJP,” said Manoj Bhattacharya, national secretariat member of the Revolutionary Socialist Party, which is left with only three seats in the Assembly. Whether the Left can overcome the hurdles and make a comeback is left to be seen. For now, the route has been charted.
For BJP, the allegations of “a secret understanding” with Ma mata are damaging, and so the Na rad a probe assumes significance. The CPI(M) real is est his and it is raising uncomfortable questions on the absence of heavyweights such as Na rend ra Mo di and Am it Shah and others during roadshows—apolitical exercise that caught Bengal by surprise prior to the 2016 elections.
Whether walking in a Ram Navami procession with a sword or addressing the media, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh is leaving no stone unturned to keep up the tempo and counter criticisms.
Leader of state opposition and veteran Congress M LA, Abdul Mann an, who filed the first PI Lin the S ar ad ha ch it fund case, is attacking the BJP on similar lines.
“People want an impartial investigation and don’t want to see it being influenced by the Trina moo l-B JP partnership. Our party will hit the streets and raise this demand,” he said.
The Trinamool and BJP play supplementary roles for each other. While the CBI probe into Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams move at snail’s pace, Trinamool leaders remain absent from Rajya Sabha when the BJP places antipeople bills. It is a convenient arrangement. SITARAM YECHURY , CPI(M) general secretary , at a rally in Cooch Behar town of north Bengal on April 22