It is now official: Ms Mamata Banerjee will be chief minister of West Bengal if the Trinamul Congress-Congress alliance comes to power in the Assembly polls in April-May, though she herself will not be a candidate in these elections.
Putting at rest all speculation, Ms Banerjee made it clear on Wednesday that she would head the government even though she is not contesting the election. “If I contest, then I will not be able to devote time to other constituencies. I believe that instead of confining myself to just one constituency, I should campaign in all 294 seats because I consider all the constituencies as mine.” Speaking to the media just before leaving for New Delhi, she pointed out that under the law she could always stand in a byelection and get elected to the Assembly within six months of becoming chief minister.
She is due to hold consulations in New Delhi with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and AICC general secretary K. Keshav Rao to finalise seat-sharing between her party and the Congress, sources said.
Asked about seat adjustments with the Congress, Ms Banerjee said it was virtually a fait accompli. “We already have an alliance at the Centre. As far as distribution of seats is concerned, it is a minor issue. We will sort it out soon,” she said.
With the EC’s announcement of the election schedule on Tuesday, the bugle for battle royale has been sounded in the state. Ms Banerjee had already declared that the Left Front, which has won seven successive Assembly polls starting 1977, would not be able to form its eighth government in West Bengal. “People are determined to create history by electing a new government,” she said.
She said she would be preoccupied with the debates on the Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha till March 8. After that she would return to Kolkata and immerse herself in election work. She explained how she did not have to contest the Assembly elections just now. “If the people give us their blessings and elect a government of “maa, mati, manush” (Trinamul slogan), I can always get elected in the next six months. There is a provision in the Constitution that I can win a byelection within six months of taking charge (as CM),” she added, and noted that in Bihar too Mr Nitish Kumar had not contested the recent Assembly election.
The Trinamul chief’s decision has been prompted by several factors. One, as she herself acknowledged, she did not want to be tied down to her own constituency. “This election is Left Front vs Mamata Banerjee. The anti-Left voter will back her (irrespective of) the profile of her candidates. She therefore wants to campaign for as many candidates as possible in a little over a month’s time,” a Trinamul Congress MP said.
The other reason is that she does not want to step down as railway minister at this juncture. “She has announced a slew of new West Bengal-specific railway projects. Many previous projects are still in the process of being implemented. She therefore wants to occupy the chair at Rail Bhavan for another eight-nine months to fulfil her commitments,” he added.