Is Mamata BJP’s new Naveen Patnaik? Bengal Governor-CM bonhomie indicates so

Is the BJP-led NDA government in New Delhi trying to find in Mamata Banerjee a new Naveen Patnaik?

The question has been doing the rounds in West Bengal’s political circle ever since Governor CV Ananda Bose called a truce to his protracted tussle with Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress government.

Governor’s olive branch

Calling off the protracted confrontation between Raj Bhavan and the state’s ruling dispensation over swearing-in ceremonies, Bose on Monday (December 2) administered the oath to six newly-elected Trinamool MLAs at the Assembly.

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Sangita Roy from Sitai, Jayprakash Toppo from Madarihat, Sanat De from Naihati, SK Rabiul Islam from Haroa, Sujoy Hazra from Medinipur and Falguni Singhababu from Taldangra got elected to the Assembly in the November 13 by-elections.

The chief minister warmly received the governor at the Assembly in a major departure from the tug of war witnessed in the past over administering oaths to new legislators.

Earlier confrontation

In July, Speaker Biman Banerjee called a special session of the Assembly to administer oaths to two TMC MLAs, Rayat Hossain Sarkar and Sayantika Banerjee, as the Governor’s refusal to visit the House to administer the oath led to a month-long standoff.

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An angry Bose was quick to lodge a complaint with President Droupadi Murmu, accusing the speaker of “constitutional impropriety”.

A similar drama unfolded over the swearing in of four TMC legislators – Supti Pandey from Maniktala, Mukutmoni Adhikari from Ranaghat South, Krishna Kalyani from Raiganj and Madhuporna Thakur from Bangaon. They were also administered oaths by the Speaker.

Bose recalls earlier friendship

That the Governor is keen to bury the hatchet has become apparent recently when the former invited the chief minister to Raj Bhavan on the occasion of his completion of two years in office on November 23.

In his invitation letter to the chief minister, Bose pointed out that in his first year in office he had a "friendly relationship" with the state government.

Stating that it deteriorated in the second year because of some “differences” of opinion, the governor in his letter, according to officials, privy to the communication, expressed his desire to leave the past bitterness behind.

Mamata's warm reciprocation

Bose had several run-ins with the state government over issues ranging from appointment of vice-chancellors of state universities, alleged snooping of Kolkata Police personnel in his office, to sexual harassment allegations levelled against him.

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The state government too appears to be bearing no malice as the chief minister promptly accepted the peace overture, sending sweets and fruits to the governor.

She also telephoned the governor and congratulated him on the completion of his two years in office.

TMC puts INDIA in place

As part of the new-found bonhomie, the governor agreed to conduct the swearing-in ceremony at the Assembly.

The climbdown apart, there are other hints of a possible change in the equation between the TMC and the BJP government at the Centre.

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The TMC distanced itself from the Congress-led INDIA bloc on floor strategy for the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, deciding not to go all out against the government, particularly on the Adani issue.

Drawing the line on Adani

Party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee reiterated that the TMC would not hold up Parliament on the Adani issue. “We will stick to the issues of Bengal, like our pending dues,” he said.

The TMC made it clear that unlike the Congress and other INDIA constituents, it would not like to disrupt parliament.

“The TMC wants the House to run so that people’s issues can be raised,” its leader in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien, told reporters in New Delhi.

ED goes soft on TMC

The central investigating agencies of late have also slowed down investigation into graft cases against the TMC leaders including Abhishek.

Abhishek is under the watch of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) scanner in multiple cases, including alleged irregularities in teachers’ recruitment and a multi-crore coal pilferage scam involving Eastern Coalfields.

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The ED, which had gone hard on Abhishek, grilling him for hours on several occasions last year, did not issue any summons to him for about a year now.

Shah avoids rape victim’s family

The BJP central leadership was against going full throttle on the RG Kar rape and murder issue that sparked public outrage.

Much to the disappointment of many state BJP leaders, Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not meet the parents of the RG Kar victim during his visit to the state in October despite agreeing to give them an audience.

The CPI(M) and the Congress alleged that Shah gave the victim’s parents a miss as the BJP has a secret understanding with the Banerjee-led dispensation.

New political equations?

Political observers also believe there are more to the developments than meets the eye.

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It’s not a mere coincidence that the BJP government at the Centre has not locked horns with the West Bengal government after returning to power with diminished strength earlier this year, pointed out political commentator and author Amal Sarkar.

With 29 Lok Sabha seats in its kitty, the TMC emerged as an important player after the 2024 General Elections wherein the BJP failed to get a majority.

Is Mamata the new Naveen?

The Narendra Modi government for its survival in this term is heavily dependent on its two capricious allies – N Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United).

Given the unpredictability of the duo, the BJP think tank would definitely like to have its Plan B ready just in case.

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Earlier, Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) without being an official ally bailed out the BJP-led NDA government on many contentious issues in Parliament.

Ceasefire, but no political marriage

“The BJP central leadership might want to see the TMC in that role and that explains the Centre’s olive branch to the Bengal’s ruling party, which was once a part of the NDA,” Sarkar said.

In the context of Bengal politics too it is in the BJP’s interest to avoid an all-out confrontation with the TMC government as it gives an astute Banerjee a victim card, which she has used successfully in successive elections, portraying the BJP inimical to Bengal’s interest.

“This, however, does not mean that the TMC and the BJP will no longer be adversaries. They appear to have just made a strategic move to hold fire,” pointed out another political commentator, Nirmalya Banerjee.