After Mukul Roy, Babul Supriyo ditched Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While Roy ridiculed the birthday of the prime minister yesterday, Babul did not even wish the head of the council of ministers which till a few months back he was part of. Many knew that something was being cooked up though not as dramatic as it happens today. Finally Babul quit BJP and joined Mamata Banerjee holding the hands of her nephew and party’s undisputed second in command, Abhishek Banerjee.
The incident took place at Abhishek’s office at Camac Street in Kolkata. Just yesterday, BJP also pulled down the nameplate of Rajib Banerjee from a chamber of party’s corporate style office in Kolkata’s Hastings Street, near Race Course. None would doubt Rajib also racing towards joining the TMC though his joining is being opposed by some local leaders of Howrah, the constituency he represents. But then, sources said, Mamata would turn Rajib a Kolkata leader and would employ in some other affairs. Even as the TMC leadership openly says that many are on the queue to join the party, at least seven more MLAs and two MPs of the BJP are doubted.
Surprisingly, joining TMC, Babul demeaned the post he held in the Union council of ministers.
“You all know what minister of state rank is all about. Crucial decisions of the government will not be discussed with them,” said he.
But that MoS post was something Babul wanted to hold on to till he was removed during the last reshuffle of Modi ministry. Instead four MoS from Bengal have been incorporated removing two—Babul and Debasree Chowdhury. Chowdhury, having an RSS background unlike Babul—is working hard in the party. Babul hinted that four MoS are of no use.
According to a senior retired IAS officer, who had worked in Delhi under different positions, Babul is partly right.
“It depends on the personality. If that person is being groomed by the prime minister and is found to be promising then he is taken into the loop. Like in the case of Mansukh Mandvya and Anurag Thakur. But if PM feels that a person is not that committed then even files are not sent to him. Directions are given to officials accordingly,” said the officer.
But Babul is a two-time minister and was shifted to different ministries—urban development to heavy industries and so on. Of course Modi, who in 2014 shouted during his election speech at Asansol—Mujhe Babul Chaiye (I want Babul)—did not find Babul much competent post 2019.
But Babul today said everything changed in the last three days when he entered into a discussion (read deal) with Derek O'Brien.
“Didi would definitely give me an opportunity to work for Bengal. I am very happy, grateful and excited,” said he.
He said he wold meet Mamata and if needed he would campaign in Bhawanipur, where his disciple, Priyanka Tibrewal, is fighting a political battle against Mamata Banerjee. If Babul’s entry was made as a last minute deal by TMC to campaign in Bhawanipur, the question arises. Is Mamata Banerjee under pressure in Bhawanipur? Tibrewal has made a high-decibel campaign alone in the high-voltage election.
With Babul’s ditching, there is a big lesson for Modi and Shah to learn. Roy, Babul, Rajib sat together with Modi in Delhi to select candidates for assembly election. Within months, just after the defeat, all of them either switched to TMC or heading towards it. BJP is in deep trouble in Bengal now and that is seen by Modi and Shah even when they are witnessing success elsewhere. Only one big defector standing firmly—Suvendu Adhikari. The long political experience of the prime minister perhaps for the first time has been put to test. Ironically it was in Bengal where the party’s origin was born and Modi did a sparkling show in 2019 by winning 18 Lok Sabha election. Ironically the BJP cadres were never so disappointed before, not even when they had no MLAs in the West Bengal assembly.
