The rot has set in!

Today’s West Bengal politics has become different, one not knowing which leader is in which party. If defection by a leader like Manas Bhuyian from Congress was digested with disbelief, cross-over by a hardcore CPIM Krishi leader like Abdul Razzak Mollah was despised. Both had joined the Trinamool party, thus paving the way for open gates policy for the future defections and detriment of politics in the State, known until then for a more matured politics than many states in India.

The BJP party, which many believed was different, became an also-ran by admitting Mukul Roy, the then No.2 in AITC. The BJP party soon was filled with defectors that positively impacted their electoral gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, while the old-timers quietly sulked. I had written then about BJP’s sacrifice of ideals that would fetch only temporary gains. Mukul went back to AITC, followed by a few other winning MLAs. BJP is in tenterhooks to keep their flock safe and happy and finding it increasingly difficult to do so.

Babul Supriyo’s defection has other connotations as well. It reveals the rot that has been set in the State BJP. The State president Dilip Ghosh, I guess, is like a monarch, contemptuous of all his subjects and disliking every new person challenging his authority. He seems oblivious of the damage to his party by the exodus of his leaders. The attempt to cut to size by placing his party MPs as sitting ducks and lose is sufficient reason to throw him and the state minders into exile. Dilip Ghosh believed that his eye-for-an-eye style had more mass appeal than the intellectual juggernauted styles pursued by many other leaders. Dilip forgot that, when it comes to street-fight politics, none can match the innovative tricks the AITC supremo and her party men have in their sleeves.

Be that as it may, in a larger context, Bengal politics is stinking like never before. Defectors are paraded like war heroes. In the unprecedented scenario of non-stop hops, the voters electing leaders on their party symbols stand utterly dismayed and defeated. Democracy stands bruised, and the long-term repercussions do not augur well for the State.

It is pointless to argue as to who had started the game of defections.  The BJP party might have, in a larger context. But having a huge mandate to rule the State, the stature of AITC would have improved by not admitting opportunistic politicians like Babul Supriyo. The AITC could have as much weakened or embarrassed the BJP and Modi/Shah combine by exposing Babul’s overtures. But, again, politics is no more a gentleman’s serving. It is populated by menials, crooks, criminals, and manipulators. It is despicable to hear Babul saying now that none other than Didi would be the best choice as a PM in 2024 while pretending to be the most loyal soldier for the last seven years.

If there are more defections from the BJP to AITC in the future, the State BJP leadership could be responsible for it as much. Babul’s defection has neither added merit to Bengal politics nor improved the opportunistic image of AITC.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix