There was no apparent need for the ruling TMC to overstretch itself to scupper the opposition’s plans. So what had prompted the TMC to railroad its ex MLA Dinesh Bajaj at the last instant, into contesting as an ‘independent’ for the fifth vacant RS slot? Most Kolkata-based papers carried shots of the highly flustered Bajaj scrambling for dear life with his papers, to reach the concerned officials in good time!

It came as no surprise to learn that in all the tearing hurry, certain critical papers could not be furnished. His nomination stood rejected. Bhattacharya was home and dry without a contest.

As the fiasco ended on a tragi-comic note - not a unusual occurrence with TMC-sponsored initiatives - there was still no end to confusion. For once, TMC leaders went silent on the goof-up, saying that they could not speak on behalf of an ‘independent ‘candidate. Bajaj however, let the cat out of the bag.

‘I was promised TMC’s total support in terms of second preference votes. They called me up and asked me to file my nomination. I also spoke to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee,’ he told newsmen. So much for the guff on ‘independents contesting on their own.’

Out of the five vacant RS seats to be filled from Bengal, the TMC was certain of winning four anyway. The party made a good choice in rehabilitating former Lok Sabha MP Dinesh Trivedi, bringing him back this time to the upper house.

Despite having a good presence in both houses, most TMC members are not renowned for their oratorical abilities. The discomfiture of the party’s young MP from Diamond Harbour in the Lok Sabha some time ago is a case in point. The honourable member had somehow forgotten the question he was supposed to have asked, on his debut! He had to be guided by a kindly speaker anxiously seeking to complete the formalities and keep the house running.

But Trivedi, a former Union Minister, can effectively hold his own in making a point in parliamentary proceedings. He can be relied on to lighten the heavy duty exertions of TMC lone ranger in RS, Derek O’brien.

In the TMC’s frenzied opposition to Bhattacharya’s entry to the RS, there was more than what met the eye. The lawyer with his CPI(M) background has over the years been a persistent thorn in the TMC’s flesh. A former Mayor of the city of Calcutta, Bhattacharya currently specialises in spearheading legal battles against TMC leaders allegedly involved in corruption and other irregularities. He also helps hundreds of harassed opposition supporters with legal assistance in cases involving the police and other departments. Further, he is actively engaged in major citizens’ initiatives to protect minimum rights for the people, which again brings him into a collision course with the state Government repeatedly.

At a time when left parties in Bengal are in decline, Bhattacharya keeps up a controlled but fairly aggressive political rhetoric at the public rallies he attends. His standard pitch goes, “We cannot go on an immediate counter attack against TMC’s armed anti-socials backed by the police. We must also deal with the false cases filed against Leftists by the police. But we must pursue each issue legally. It may take some time, but our legal efforts act as a decisive check on the police and the ruling party. We will keep them on the run. Their public support has declined sharply, if 2019 Lok Sabha poll results are any indication.”

For the record, Bhattacharya lost at a prestige fight toa TMC sponsored actress from Jadavpur, but did put up a plucky fight, according to locals.

What makes him enemy number one for the TMC is his involvement with Congress leader Abdul Mannan and other activists in initiating legal proceedings against TMC leaders involved in the multi-crore Sarada chit fund scam. Their initial efforts to bring the corrupt to book did not progress. Top lawyers who usually help the Congress in major legal battles in Delhi did not take interest. They occasionally resorted to crowdfunding to raise resources. Through their dogged persistence, they managed to take their joint campaign to the Supreme Court.

There, fighting off the West Bengal Government bitterly on every point, they secured the court order for a CBI inquiry into the scam. The rest is history. The Bengal Government had spent over Rs 11 crore of taxpayers’ money in legal expenses to stop the CBI from beginning its inquiries.

Bhattacharya who displays a maniacal zeal in exposing the TMC’s corruption, declared war even before he made it to the Rajya Sabha. “I will certainly raise matters of importance relating to major developments in Bengal, with special attention to the Sarada chit fund scam,” he told the media. Call it a coincidence or not, but TMC general secretary Partha Chattopadhya, announced the decision to support an ‘independent‘ for the fifth RS vacancy only after Bhattacharya had spoken, not before.

In addition to ensuring second preference votes from the TMC, media leakages suggested there would be some ‘defections’ from the Congress MLAs as well as support from 11 Bharatiya Janata party MLAs for Bajaj. The state BJP neither confirmed nor denied these reports.

Bajaj’s botched up bid for an RS seat is not the only bad news for the TMC. The final round of civic elections in Bengal before the scheduled Assembly polls in 2021 will be postponed on account of the drive to combat the spread of Covid-19. The TMC had an early start over the opposition, having finalised its candidates for the prestigious fight for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The opposition was not soprepared.TMC candidates had launched a poster campaign in some city areas already. Party activists had begun their house-to-house visits on instruction. The unforeseeable delay on account of the medical emergency would help the opposition parties to put together a more planned campaign for the civic polls. (IPA Service)