New Delhi and Kolkata, June 25: The increasing dissonance between Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s politics and the Union government’s West Bengal policy has become a source of concern for Congress leaders. While the Congress had braced itself to deal with Mamata’s mercurial temper, it hardly expected trouble to start so soon in its second innings. But the Lalgarh crisis has brought matters close to boiling point.
As Mamata, popularly known as Didi, fumed and fretted, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was just a few hundred kilometres away in his Jangipur parliamentary constituency, attempted to soothe her ruffled feathers by promising to talk to her to remove her misunderstandings, such as they may be. Yet, the note of exasperation in his voice implied that she was being unreasonable.
Trinamool Congress member of parliament Saugata Roy insisted that Mamata was kept in the dark. He told DNA: “Mamata Banerjee feels she should have been consulted on the issue of sending paramilitary troops to Lalgarh because cabinet decisions are taken collectively. She feels responsible for West Bengal and so the Centre should discuss all decisions pertaining to the state with her.”
The view in Delhi is quite different. According to a highly placed government source, Mamata was informed quite clearly that the home ministry would lend the Bengal government a helping hand in Lalgarh. “The decision to send paramilitary forces to back police operations against the Maoists was communicated to her at a closed-door meeting at the prime minister’s residence at which prime minister Manmohan Singh, Mukherjee, and home minister P. Chidambaram were present,” said the source. In fact, they requested her not to stir the pot with provocative statements.
The source pointed out that the meeting took place on June 12, after which Mamata flew to Kolkata and has not shown her face in Delhi. This gives her an excuse to pretend that she is not being consulted, he said.
Although they are partners in the ruling United Progressive Alliance, the clash between Mamata’s obsessive anti-Left politics in Bengal and the Union government decisions is likely to increase as the countdown to the state assembly elections begins. The polls are due in the first half of 2011.
Roy insisted, “The Trinamool is not seeking any special sympathy from the Centre. We are 20 MPs and have a presence in the central ministry and so expect to be consulted on key issues relating to our state.”
Yet, despite the flashpoints in the relationship, the Congress and the Trinamool are stuck with each other as they prepare to take on the Left Front in the assembly elections. Mamata admitted the same at a meeting with party workers. “I am against breaking the alliance with the Congress. But at the same time, I would request the Centre not to take decisions consulting only the CPI(M) because it is more dangerous than a poisonous cobra,” she said.
Mamata back in Delhi
New Delhi: Mamata Banerjee arrived back in the capital after two weeks as the Congress seeks to mend fences with the Trinamool. Banerjee is furious at the Centre for heeding the Left’s demand to rush central troops to West Bengal, and for banning the CPI(Maoists).
A source close to Banerjee said that Mamata is also angry with Chidambaram for openly barring two Trinamool ministers, Mukul Roy and Sisir Adhikari, from going to Lalgarh, ostensibly at the behest of some Left leaders. “If Aparna Sen can go to Lalgarh, then why bar political leaders?” he asked, adding, “Mamata feels the government is only listening to the Left.”
Pranab Mukherjee is expected to meet Chidambaram on Thursday. A meeting of the cabinet committee on political affairs, of which Banerjee is a member, might also take place. “The Congress has to learn that you cannot oblige a rival and ignore an ally,” said the source.
Why Didi is upset
– At the end of May, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee asked the Centre to declare Aila a national calamity and sought Rs1,000 crore as central aid. Mamata wanted the aid to be sent directly to the local administration and not through the state government. However, in mid-June, Manmohan Singh said “the relationship between the government of West Bengal… and the central government is governed by constitutional norms”, hinting that Mamata’s demand was not tenable.
– Mamata did not attend two all-party meets on handling the Aila crisis in June, where the Congress was present. She said: “The Congress is a larger party and has to think on issues from an all-India perspective.”
– Sending of paramilitary troops to Lalgarh by the Centre. She said the Centre did not consult her on this.
–Agencies