Sidelined by BJP, is Chandan Mitra set to be Mamata's 'Delhi voice'?

Chandan Mitra Chandan Mitra | James Arpookkara

These days, many call Chandan Mitra as a BJP leader close to L.K. Advani. But who was more loyal to Advani than Narendra Modi, the present prime minister of India? Thus as time flies, so does ideology.

Mitra, the BJP's omnipresent media face in Delhi, is hanging up his boots as a soundbyte soldier of the party. Mitra had asked Amartya Sen to return his Bharat Ratna ahead of the 2014 election—which the BJP won under Modi—because Sen opposed Modi's candidature.

Despite the fact that he was part of the Advani camp (which also opposed BJP's move to make Modi the prime ministerial candidate in 2014), Mitra vehemently stood in the media as a strong follower of Modi. But the reality is that after more than three decades of close affiliation with the BJP, Mitra, the saffron party's intellectual face in Delhi, has reportedly put in his papers to party president Amit Shah.

It's still not known whether Shah has accepted Mitra's resignation. It is also not known whether there is any chance of reconciliation on the part of the highest leadership of the BJP. But if political speculation is to be believed, then Mitra could be seen at the grand occasion of the Martyrs Day celebration of the ruling Trinamool Congress, on July 21 at Esplanade Road in Kolkata.

Since the TMC's birth, Martyrs Day is celebrated by Mamata Banerjee as a show of strength when her party holds a massive rally, choking streets across the busy Esplanade. While being an opposition leader, Banerjee used to break the traffic rules on Martyrs Day as more than a lakh people gathered for the event. Even after Banerjee became the elected head of the government, such breaking of rules has continued for the last seven years.

Since 2011, Banerjee has used Martyrs Day to give a road map for her partymen and include new leaders from the opposition camps into her own party. This year, it would not be an aberration. Chances are high that two prominent Congress MPs could join the TMC, and speculation is rife that Mitra could make an appearance as well.

No Trinamool Congress leader has confirmed claims of Mitra's attendance. And neither have they denied it. As one senior leader said, "Wait and see. Something is in store for people to see."

Not far way from the venue of the coming Martyrs Day meeting, the iconic La Martiniere School in Kolkata is located. Mitra used to study there along with Swapan Dasgupta, another counterpart in the BJP's 'intellectual cell'.

After graduating from La Martiniere, both Mitra and Dasgupta went to St Stephen's College in Delhi and met Shashi Tharoor. The trio have shared a close bond since then, though Tharoor has been at the other end of the ideological spectrum, having joined the Congress and remaining there. All three are known to be extremely prolific writers and and are highly regarded intellectuals.

It would have been interesting to know the opinions of Tharoor or Dasgupta on Mitra's 'exit' from the BJP; while they have been regular on social media, neither has tweeted anything on Mitra.

While Dasgupta has also not been seen 'defending' the BJP in recent months, Tharoor suddenly upped the ante against Modi, more than ever before.

Interestingly, BJP sources confirmed that Mitra could be another "jobless BJP leader" who is craving for some respectable assignment from Modi. Like Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha and few others, who were known to be powerful people in the Vajpayee era, Mitra also has been sidelined by Modi.

Like Mitra, both Shourie and Sinha had welcomed the move of the BJP to make Modi the face of the BJP in 2014 election. They have been perceived to have raised their voice only when they were avoided by the Modi government.

Mitra, on the other hand, was not avoided but asked to prove his mettle. He continued as a Rajya Sabha MP as his term was to end in 2016. But in 2014, Mitra was sent to West Bengal to contest the general election from Hooghly district. He was designated as a spokesperson on West Bengal-related issues and used to come down heavily on Banerjee on different occasions—from political violence to the Saradha chit fund scam. He was also often asked to take care of political activities in West Bengal, which he seldom did.

Mitra also did poorly in 2014 election when he stood third, losing his deposit, even though senior BJP leaders toured his constituency and campaigned for him.

In 2016, Mitra was denied a renomination to the Rajya Sabha. The BJP's decision irked Mitra and he did not take it lightly. The editor of a national newspaper, Mitra was often seen on TV defending Modi, but without any proper designation attached to him. He was denied any assignment by the 'Shah brigade' even in the party.

Mitra is not a prominent leader of the BJP. His attachment or detachment with and from the party would not politically hit the BJP. But Mitra's 'intellectual clout' in Lutyens' Delhi could definitely help the opposition against BJP, especially when there is an attempt to forge a grand alliance before 2019.

It's an undeniable fact that the pro-Modi campaign in the media is slowly but steadily fading. Mitra could definitely play a big role irrespective of what position he might get in a new party or formation, if it happens at all.

If Mitra indeed joins the Trinamool, Banerjee would get a connection in Delhi who could fight for her in India's capital. Also, Mitra would be a much-needed asset for Banerjee to boost her acceptability in Delhi's intellectual circles, something that is yet to happen. Banerjee had tried courting the Lutyens' intellectuals in the past but unsuccessfully.

So, July 21 could prove to be an interesting day in West Bengal politics, yet again.