Mamata Banerjee shows Congress who’s boss in West Bengal

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s emphatic showing in the West Bengal civic polls has cut to size the Congress, the senior partner in the ruling United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, besides sending a clear warning note to the CPI(M) in the state.

Consider the immediate fall-out. Dilly-dallying on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Gyaneshwari Express mishap so far, the Centre ordered an inquiry by the agency soon after the civic poll results trickled in. Mamata had been insisting on a CBI probe into the rail disaster while the West Bengal government was opposed to it.

Although senior home ministry officials denied that the decision had anything to do with the election results, the political logic is obvious. “We do not need the state government’s concurrence as central ministries have jurisdiction over the CBI,” an official said.

At the political level, a chastened Congress reiterated that an alliance with the Trinamool Congress was always on for the Bengal assembly elections. The party, which contested the civic polls alone, ended up badly bruised. Of 81 civic bodies, the TC bagged 33, the Congress 7 and the Left Front the Left 18 till last reports.

“We have been fighting the CPI(M) in that state for 30 years, and we shall always combine with Trinamool to defeat the Leftists,” said Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed. Senior Union minister Pranab Mukherjee was among the first to congratulate Mamata on her strong performance.

The elections have established beyond doubt that the Congress may be a bigger force elsewhere, but in West Bengal the TC is firmly in the driver’s seat. TC leader Saugata Roy said: “We were ready to give them 25 seats in the Kolkata municipality but they wanted more. Now they are just touching double figures. The Congress should see the results and decide on the future of the alliance.”

Banerjee, on her part, chose to be magnanimous in victory, playing down any differences with the Congress. “I have faith in the Congress leadership. I want to keep up relations with the UPA government,” Banerjee said in Kolkata.

The voluble Union railway minister said she favoured a mahajot (bigger alliance). “I can’t say anything about tomorrow. I am not a political astrologer. I am always open for alliance. I am in favour of a mahajot. Let us see what happens,” she said.

The impact of the election results was clearly visible even on the CPM. Even as the home ministry officials were clearing the proposal for the CBI probe that will be notified on Thursday, there was a phone call from a senior West Bengal government official offering full cooperation in the probe.