Electoral defeat for Mamata is a green area. She has been on the climb ever since she began her career in her teens as a Chatra Parishad activist. She is used to be as the sole member of parliament of her party but has bounced back to become the CM of West Bengal eventually.
She obliterated the Left, but where did all the committed communist cadres go? Most shifted their loyalties and joined TMC. Thus, Mamata had a free run of the State for the past seven years winning handsomely in all the elections, from the Panchayat, Municipalities, the Assemblies and the Parliamentary seats. Filled with power, she went about strengthening her position by even nominating Congress candidates like Abhishek Manu Singhvi to the Rajya Sabha from the State.
The last Lok Sabha Polls changed all that in a jiffy. She has nearly lost half her strength in the Lok Sabha, and each day a few councillors and MLAs of her party are switching over to BJP. PM Modi did mention about 40 MLAs being in touch with his party, but his claim was rubbished by the TMC Supremo. Another heavyweight from her party too challenged Modi that not a single member from their party would ever join BJP. I wrote then that it may be wiser to give weight to the PM’s words. The self-confidence bordered on arrogance then.
Mamata called a meeting of her councillors, which was open to the media, where she admitted corruption at many levels. She could’ve stopped at that. She went on to mention the cut money retained, Rs.200 per Rs. 2000 doled by the government and admonished her men to return the money. Well, in the face of it, it seems a little gesture, but there could be more to it as well.
It is not that Mamata did not know earlier about the corruption, which seems to be rampant at all levels. The new millionaires of Bengal are not industrialists or businessmen but are mostly her party leaders, a well-known fact. By admitting corruption, she seems to step out of the ring, trying to prove clean, but she heads her party and cannot absolve herself of ignorance. The admission of corruption, in specific terms, 10% on all deals, might throw up some legal battles, though corruption is a lowly debated factor in India today.
The reaction at the villages has already started, many demanding the return of their cut money, retained by the leaders, claiming that the sum would go to the party.
At the outset, I appreciate Mamata’s dare in admitting corruption in her party, but too much squeeze would accelerate the jumping of the ship by her greedy men. The matter, therefore, is like a bone stuck in the throat, which can neither be spit nor swallowed.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
