After Tirath Singh Rawat's exit, is pressure mounting on Mamata?

Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat's resignation has generated interest in West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s immediate future. The question is, will she have her foot firmly on the ground or not. 

Banerjee, who was defeated by protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP in the recently concluded assembly elections, is planning to seek election from Bhowanipur, a seat already vacated by her cabinet colleague Sovandeb Chattopadhyay. 

Banerjee said she had already requested the Election Commission for an early byelection, adding that she would need only seven days to prepare for the polls. 

Seven seats are awaiting byelections in Bengal. However, how soon will the EC be able to hold byelections under the prevailing pandemic situation remains a key question. 

And with Rawat resigning as Uttarakhand CM, is pressure mounting on Banerjee to resign? 

There is no imminent pressure on Banerjee who, unlike Rawat, has time till November 5 for re-election. In Bengal, where Banerjee was sworn in on May 5, the election commission has more time than in Uttarakhand where Rawat took charge on March 10 this year.

That said, a third COVID-19 wave predicted to hit India in September-October, could spoil Banerjee's chances. In that case, it remains to be seen if the EC would go ahead and hold the bypolls, especially after it was vehemently criticised by the Madras High Court for its handling of the assembly elections even as the second wave ravaged India. The Supreme Court also overlooked and refused to expunge the remarks of the Madras High Court about the commission. 

Not only Banerjee, her finance minister, Amit Mitra, is also to be re-elected. Chattopadhyay, who resigned as an MLA but is holding on to the cabinet rank, will also seek re-election. Hence, the fate of the chief minister and two cabinet ministers are in the balance.

Perhaps realising the gravity of the situation, Banerjee decided to bring in legislation to create an upper house—the legislative council—in the state assembly. The bill is likely to be brought in during the ongoing budget session that began amid chaotic scenes on Friday. 

However, even if that bill is passed in the assembly, it has to be passed by both the houses of Parliament, a requisite to create a legislative council in any state.

Banerjee is prepared to fight it legally, too, if there is any delay in the byelection. She is all set to knock on the Supreme Court's door in case time runs out and does not hear positively from the EC. 

Clearly, the political situation in the state might get tumultuous and one must anticipate disruptions even in the monsoon session of Parliament, courtesy West Bengal.