CM same-party pill for civic polls - Rivals spy hegemony plan

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee greets people while leaving Bagdogra
airport on Monday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

BIRESWAR BANERJEE and AVIJIT SINHA, TT, Bagdogra, March 30: Mamata Banerjee today put forward the theory of same-party rule in the state and local bodies for development ahead of next month's municipal polls, which drew criticism from the Opposition.

"It is always better to have the same party running the state government and the civic bodies. This helps in executing development projects better. If the local body is run by another political party, then development halts," Mamata said on her arrival at Bagdogra airport for a three-day north Bengal trip.

A miffed Asok Bhattacharya of the CPM said Trinamul was bent on creating a hegemony and asked if the BJP at the Centre meant there should be a BJP government in the state too.

Out of the 91 civic bodies going to polls on April 25, 12 are in north Bengal, including the Siliguri Municipal Corporation.

The Opposition parties said the chief minister's contention indicated that the ruling party would not allow the Opposition to form boards anywhere.

Trinamul has already bagged uncontested three municipalities - Arambagh and Tarakeswar in Hooghly, and Gayeshpur in Nadia - and the CPM held out these examples to launch the attack on Trinamul, blaming its attempts to create a hegemony.

The CPM's mayoral candidate in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, former state minister Asok Bhattacharya, said the statement betrayed the chief minister's plans to forcibly take the civic bodies through her "politically immature" logic.

"By her logic, since the BJP is ruling at the Centre, in Bengal also the state government should be run by the BJP. In 2009 and 2010, when elections were held for the Siliguri and Calcutta municipal corporations, respectively, the Left Front was in power. She should have campaigned for the Left Front," said Bhattacharya.

Trinamul's first major success was in 2000 when the party (then barely two years old) won the Calcutta Municipal Corporation elections.

Then mayor Subrata Mukherjee shared a good rapport with the Left Front government under Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. When asked tonight, whether, he had faced any problem with the Left Front government, Mukherjee declined comment.

State Congress president and Behrampore MP Adhir Chowdhury said: "One-party rule is unacceptable in a democracy. Her demand for one party in the state and civic bodies betrays her dictatorial tendencies."

Since Trinamul was voted to power, it has followed an aggressive policy of winning over elected councillors, panchayat representatives and also MLAs to its camp, from the rival political parties.

In the 12 civic bodies in north Bengal, which will go to polls, Trinamul controls five, while the Left has four and the Congress three. That Trinamul was out to grab the civic bodies by engineering defections became clear through several instances since 2009.

The Congress and Trinamul formed the SMC board in 2009. In 2010, the Congress won the Jalpaiguri, Malbazar, Cooch Behar, Islampur, Kaliaganj, Englishbazar and Old Malda municipalities.

Before the desolution of the civic bodies, the Congress had only two of seven it had won in 2010, and the SMC. The rest are in the Trinamul kitty.

The Trinamul has given the charge of leading the party's campaign in north Bengal to minister Gautam Deb, who was aspiring to become the next mayor of Siliguri.

The party did not allow Deb to contest- though other ministers such as Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury and Shyamapada Mukherjee are in the fray in other civic body polls - and has not projected any of the candidates for the top post in Siliguri.

"Asokda is still popular in Siliguri. The CPM has played a masterstroke by fielding him. There is also the threat from the BJP which has a sizeable following among the trading community," said a Trinamul source.

The battle for the Siliguri Municipal Corporation has become a prestige battle among the three parties.

A Trinamul win will establish the ruling party's grip in north Bengal. For the CPM and the BJP, winning the most important urban centre in north Bengal could help bolster the chances ahead of next year's Assembly polls.

The chief minister will be at Suntaleykhola in the Kalimpong hills till tomorrow.

On April 1, she will attend an administrative meeting for Alipurduar district and address a public meeting in Ethelbarie, before leaving for Mong Pong.

Mamata is scheduled to return to Calcutta on April 2.

Hill council plea

Representatives of the Nawa Mangar Association met Mamata Banerjee on Monday and sought a separate development council for the community. Mamata has not given any assurance.