Amid Governor’s bonhomie with CM, BJP will have to directly take on TMC  

A new pattern seems to be emerging in the tussle between the BJP-led Centre and the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal.

Unlike in the past when the Centre waged a political battle against the West Bengal government through Raj Bhavan, it has now launched an administrative tirade against the state administration. The Union government is turning up the heat on the state government through its various ministries even as the Governor has embraced an apolitical stand.

Aggressive Dhankhar

The strategic shift was noticed ever since the departure of Jagdeep Dhankhar from the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata to assume charge as Vice President in July last year.

Dhankhar was known for his constant bickering with the state government to the extent that he had almost assumed the role of a political opposition.

He locked horns with the TMC and its government literally over everything ranging from serious issues like handling of Covid-19 situation, law-and-order problem and alleged corruption and nepotism to trivial matters like not giving him television exposure during a government-organised Durga Puja carnival.

In the role of chief critic of the TMC government, Dhankar came across more as a political leader than the constitutional head of the state. Politicisation of Raj Bhavan, however, did not benefit the BJP as the TMC seized the opportunity to play the victim card.

BJP and Governor

Moreover, the BJP state leadership, instead of taking on the TMC on its own, became dependent more on the Governor to take up its cause.

The Bengal BJP became so addicted to the Raj Bhavan that it was desperate to see the exit of Dhankar’s successor La Ganesan, who as a “temporary” Governor refused to get involved into any political slugfest. The state unit went to the extent of pleading with the BJP’s central leadership to axe Ganeshan for not playing the ball.

Just 72 hours before he was relieved of his additional responsibility of Bengal, BJP MLA and leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari complained against Ganeshan for not issuing a statement holding the state government accountable for “derogatory remarks” made by a TMC minister against President Droupadi Murmu.

The West Bengal BJP even public moaned how much they missed Dhankhar.

New Governor

Ultimately, when Ganeshan was replaced by CV Ananda Bose, a retired IAS officer known for his close proximity with the RSS, the BJP state leadership expected the return of the Dhankar-era in the Raj Bhavan.

Just a day ahead of his appointment, state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar claimed that the state would soon get a new Governor who would follow in the footsteps of Dhankhar.

Belying the Bengal BJP’s expectations, Bose, since taking oath on November 23, has not only avoided any tiff with Mamata Banerjee and her government but has maintained a cordial relation with the Nabanna, the state’s seat of power.

The BJP leaders in the state saw red when the Governor, at a programme at the Raj Bhavan on January 26, concluded his speech with the slogan “Joy Bangla,” which means victory to Bengal.

New Raj Bhavan

The TMC had adopted the slogan in response to the BJP’s Jai Shree Ram chant.

In the run up to the 2021 assembly elections, the slogan stirred a row with the BJP dubbing it as a “secessionist” call because of its Bangladesh connection.

The slogan was coined by the Awami League during Bangladesh’s liberation war in 1971. It is also Dhaka’s national slogan.

BJP’s Adhikari said the Governor just read out what the officials had written for him without understanding the meaning.

Going a step further, another BJP leader, Swapan Dasgupta, reminded the Governor of his “constitutional responsibilities”.

The Governor should not behave like a “xerox machine” of the TMC, Dasgupta stated.

Confused BJP

Amidst the disquiet in the saffron camp over the Governor’s bonhomie with the Chief Minister, when Bose flew to Delhi on January 26, many BJP leaders were elated thinking he had been summoned by the Centre.

It turned out that the Governor flew to Delhi to attend a pre-scheduled event. This left the BJP state leaders both confused and disappointed.

“When Amitji (Amit Shah) visited in December, he asked the state leadership to become proactive and hit the streets,” said a senior BJP leader who has been edged out in the party ever since Majumdar became the state unit chief.

“The state unit was also asked to get rid of their dependency on the parent body. Maybe, this is why the top leadership now wants the Raj Bhavan to remain apolitical,” said the leader.

Instead of launching political diatribes from the Raj Bhavan, the Centre is pinning down the state government by choking the flow of funds meant for centrally sponsored welfare schemes following allegations of corruption.

TMC under scrutiny

Funds have been withheld for months for several such schemes in West Bengal, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

To examine charges of irregularities in implementation of the schemes, New Delhi is regularly sending ministerial teams, delaying the release of funds, leading to a war of attrition between the TMC and the BJP.

“They (Centre) are sending A-team, B-team… A to Z team to Bengal only to deprive the state of its dues,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.

She pointed out that it was her government which deleted names of 17 lakh ineligible beneficiaries who had illegally made it to the PMAY list.

The BJP claims there is widespread corruption in the government schemes, necessitating the scrutiny.

A 13-member team from the Union Education Ministry was the latest to visit West Bengal on Monday. It wanted to review the mid-day meal scheme amidst charges that funds for it was diverted to compensate victims of an arson attack.

BJP has to fight

Notwithstanding the allegations and counter allegations, the relentless scrutiny has brought the focus back on alleged corruption in the Mamata Banerjee government.

But if wants to take advantage of this, the BJP state unit will have to toil on the ground instead of looking up to the Raj Bhavan to lead the charge.