The laws of the jungle say, when in a fight with a powerful adversary, make yourself look bigger, more dangerous than what you are. And no one understands this better than the chief of the Trinamool Congress party in West Bengal, who is facing one of her toughest political challenges in the form of a determined and energised BJP gnawing away at her ‘blue fortress’.
As far as optics go, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s keenly-watched rally on Martyr’s Day, 21 July, fell short of expectations. Observed every year as a tribute to 13 of her party workers who died in police firing during a protest in 1993, it has, over the years, been a platform for the TMC to launch campaigns – and consolidate its hold over the popular imagination.
Mamata Banerjee: A Work-In-Progress?
It was expected that the firebrand TMC leader would use this occasion to launch her 2021 election campaign. Another blistering attack on the BJP. Observers were also all ears to pick out the touches of Prashant Kishor, the election strategist on board to help her reclaim her political ground.
However, after more than 60 minutes of a passionate speech, the biggest takeaway was a ‘new Didi’ – who was a work-in-progress.
Roadshows and rallies have been Mamata Banerjee’s forte. She has built her long and eventful political career in her ability to speak the language of the masses, even though it gives fodder to her upper-class critics who scoff at her lack of finesse. Before the elections, the TMC leader was at her charismatic best at the maha rally held for the Mahagathbandhan, that was expected to deliver on an incredible wish list from a motley crew of aspiring king-makers and PM aspirants.
The turnout, the energy and theatrics, including Ms Banerjee serving food to her guests from the other states, made a strong case for her bid for PM-ship. When she called for a united opposition to oust the BJP, you almost believed her. She paid PM Modi back in his own coin, by calling him names, and mocking his swashbuckling style.
21 July Martyr’s Day Rally: Mamata Plays A Different Card
On Sunday, in the presence of a somewhat subdued crowd that was expecting her to fire away, Mamata Banerjee chose to play a different card altogether. Rebutting the BJP’s many allegations point by point, she called for a boycott of the EVM, and a return to paper ballots. Not only was this a reference to her party’s shock defeat in the recent polls, but also to the upcoming elections that will decide her future. But the janta had other things on its mind. Busloads of TMC supporters had been physically assaulted and stopped from making it to the rally. Something that was unheard of even a few months back. Many from North Bengal had more pressing concerns, and flood waters destroying their homes and fields, was one of them.
Mamata Banerjee cut a solitary figure in the blazing heat on Sunday in the heart of the city. She urged her supporters to hear her out, as she attacked the BJP once more on the issue of black money.
“Where is that 15 lakh you promised to put in everyone’s accounts,” she asked her adversaries who were watching her on their screens. One of the prickliest issues for the TMC of late has been ‘cut money’ or the commissions forcibly extracted by party workers for the dissemination of government welfare schemes.
Ever since election strategist Prashant Kishor came on board, Mamata ‘Didi’ has been on a ‘cleanliness’ drive, vowing to rid her party of lumpen elements and corrupt influencers. While she has been insisting that TMC workers return the ‘cut money’ to those to whom it belongs, it has unleashed chaos in the districts, giving the BJP yet another opportunity to clash with her party.
The Trinamool chief has also accused the BJP of coercing and baiting her MLAs with the carrot of ‘petrol pump contracts’ , ‘cash’, and the ‘stick’ of the CBI slamming a ponzi scam case on them. The BJP of course, has rubbished Mamata Banerjee’s claims.
Mamata Before 21 May Vs Mamata On 21 July
Mamata Banerjee’s 21 July rally speech was not rousing. By her standards, it was rather tepid. But TMC watchers say it was ‘strategic’ by design, in keeping with the makeover she has been keen to give herself and the party she has built from scratch. In order to counter the ‘muscle and money’ combine of the BJP, a beleaguered Mamata has perhaps realised that her signature confrontational style is not going to work any more.
Even during the election campaign, she came across as all fire and brimstone, attacking the BJP in her no-holds barred style. But on this day, after having tasted a humiliating defeat, she was on the back foot.
She brought up the issue of post-poll violence that is still dogging the state, while referring to her party workers who had been held back from attending the rally.
“What if we react in kind?” she thundered. But this is as far as she would venture. The Mamata before 21 May, and the Mamata on her party’s prestige dais, were two different personas. In fact, it even promoted BJP state secretary Dilip Ghosh to make a wry comment on how she should have stuck to PK (Prashant Kishor’s) script, and not tried to improvise. “This speech was neither here nor there,” he told news persons later.
It Makes Sense for Mamata To Step Back, Inhale, Regroup – And Strike
But maybe, just maybe, this is part of the plan. Dogged by issues ranging from doctors’ unrest to rising crimes on the streets, deficit rainfall to ‘cut money’, the BJP’s decisive strikes into former TMC bastions of TV and film industry unions and Durga Puja committees, and the never-ending stream of defections engineered by her former aide Mukul Roy – Mamata Banerjee is fighting a fire that is somewhat of her own making.
In this scenario, perhaps it makes sense to take a step back, inhale, regroup and strike.
A padyatra to mark World Water Conservation Day, and a public pledge to cleanse her party, are perhaps corrective steps in that direction. Political analysts have touted Mamata’s 21 July rally as the official launch day of her makeover. It remains to be seen if all this is too little, too late.
(Chandrima Pal is an author and senior journalist. She tweets @captainblubear . This is an opinion piece and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)
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