WEST BENGAL

Mamata to lose another trusted man after Mukul Roy?

Is Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee on his way out of Trinamool Congress?

mamata-sovan-chatterjee-salil West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee | Salil Bera

Is Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, one of the most trusted lieutenants of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is on his way out? At least such is the whisper inside the Trinamool Congress.

No senior leader would come out and express his or her view about it. One of the senior most party leaders and panchayat minister, Subrata Mukherjee, also asked journalist to wait for the final outcome.

“It’s being looked into by the highest leadership of the party. At least I am not part of it,” said Mukherjee.

But the sequence of events which are unfolding points to the ultimate break up of Mamata Banerjee and Sovan Chatterjee.

Chatterjee, who is called by Mamata as Kanan, was considered to be the second most favourite of the chief minister after Mukul Roy. Now, since Roy has gone out, political observers are not ruling out Chatterjee’s ouster, too. Chatterjee is also a cabinet minister of Mamata’s government, holding three important portfolios—fire services, housing and environment. 

“Didi is my guardian. If she asks me to stand on the road under the scorching heat, I will do that,”  Chatterjee had said once.

Sources have confirmed that the mayor submitted his budget two days back and that he would be speaking in support of the budget on Wednesday just to pass it. After that, he might put in his papers. Sources said Trinamool Congress has already started hunting for a new mayor.

Chatterjee, who used to enjoy the Z plus security cover given by the state government, has now been getting Y category security. He was not called in the last core committee of the party for panchyat election at Mamata’s residence in Kalighat.

Why Chatterjee and Mamata fell apart

Mamata is said to be perturbed over Chatterjee’s ongoing divorce case with his estranged wife Ratna, who has threatened to reveal to police, media and court about the mayor’s “illegal dealings with questionable people”. Mamata fears Ratna's revelations might put the party in an embarrassing position.

Another rumour is about Chatterjee’s closeness with chit fund group Saradha. CBI has sped up the investigation in Saradha and Rose Valley cases and listed half a dozen ministers and Trinamool Congress leaders to be interrogated in the coming days. Chatterjee was also found taking money in a Narada sting operation.

Chatterjee, sources said, could be called for a detailed interrogation. Insiders said that he was keeping a close contact with Mukul Roy, who just after being questioned by CBI for more than seven hours in 2015, came closer to the BJP and joined the saffron party at the end.

BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh said, without ruling out Chatterjee’s entry, “We are keeping a close watch. Let’s see what he does first.”

That has made Mamata literally upset and angry.

Chatterjee recently refused to sign various papers sent by the bureaucrats of his departments to his house. He also did not accept any TMC leader at his residence reportedly saying, “I am no more your leaders.”

A couple of weeks back, he also asked his associates not to use his names in any party banners without taking his permission.

All these point to a tectonic shift in Bengal politics. Whether it would culminate into an earthquake, only time will tell.

A senior BJP leader said, “Just wait for the drama to happen. BJP is surely gain out of this.”