One wonders whether the allegation based in the hoary past would stick or be of as much effectiveness as slogans of Centre depriving state of funds or engineering raids on political rivals by central probe agencies. But as of now, flinging a charge of treachery leading to losing a battle which plunged the nation in foreign servitude for 190 years is difficult to be replied to as BJP candidate for Krishnanagar "Rajmata" Amrita Roy will tell anyone who will care to listen.

This charge hits the BJP nominee to this Lok Sabha Amrita Roy where it hurts. For her ancestor Krishna Chandra Roy happened to be one of the conspirators colluding with the English before the battle of Plassey. Krishna Chandra Roy belonged to the leading beneficiaries of the Mughal rule but later as the leading zamindar of Krishnanagar, he collaborated with Lord Clive in 1757 along with other known big men of Bengal’s history leading to the fall of the last nawab of Bengal facilitating the rule of the English people till 1947.Krishnachandrawas known for his philanthropy, love of culture and the setting up of educational institutions.

But Trinamool Congress candidate the expelled member of the same Lok Sabha constituency Mahua Moitra has put her propaganda guns against the BJP nominee Mrs. Amrita Roy, the Rajmata of the Roy family by stating that she represents a family which betrayed the Bengal in the Plassey battle and helped the English to win and annexe Bengal. The BJP candidate Amrita’s cries of distress caught the attention of none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose assurances were music to her ears. But just as she was about to heave her first sigh of relief, fresh salvoes of criticism to pin her down by linking the saffron camp nominee to a "traitor" began afresh.

And Mahua Moitra is loath to let go of her political rival though the allegation raised Roy linking her ancestor is stated to be "personal and dated" by some quarters. That the fallout of the "Plassey conspiracy" leading to the "economic bleeding " of Bengal the most prosperous province of the then Mughal empire is what happens to be the TMC candidate 's principal poll campaign ammunition.

The victory of the English army at Plassey marked the beginning of a long series of military triumphs of the group of traders marking the foundation of an empire. It ushered in the economic depredation of India and enrichment of Britain.

It is this fallout that Moitra has in her cross eyes. The reply offered by Roy is feeble that had not her ancestor collaborated with the foreigners, the religion and way of life of the local people would have been changed for ever which is underscored by tyrannical nature of Siraj-ud-daula.

But it does not cut much ice. For though her party swears by robust nationalism, it is part of Indian history that Bengal's nawabSiraj-ud-daula lost the battle of Plassey to English forces owing to a conspiracy of some of leading nobles and bankers and his commander in chief.

It remains to be seen if TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's contention at the rally in support of Moitra becomes a game changer in the latter's favour. People respect Siraj-ud-daula, she said and asked whether the names of persons who sided with Clive to end Bengal's sovereignty has slipped Prime Minister Modi's mind.

Among the “conspirators" was Krishnanagar's zamindar Krishna Chandra Roy who by a quirk of fate happens to be an ancestor of the BJP candidate from his erstwhile fiefdom in this Lok Sabha elections. The conspirators included leading banker Jagat Seth, businessman Omichand and the nawab's commander in chief, Mir Jafar

Till Moitra stoked the involvement of Krishna Chandra, it was Mir Jafar who has been considered to be principal villain of the Plassey piece. Indeed his name is a by word for a traitor with leaders like late Subrata Mukherjee and Suvendu Adhikari being dubbed Mir Zafar when they chose to switch their loyalty from the political outfit they once belonged to.

However what Moitra and Roy have overlooked is that .battles and treacheries were part and parcel of the 18th century politics with Siraj's grandfather Alivardi Khan winning over the leading nobles of the then nawab Sarfaraz Khan before defeating him at the battle of Giria.

After becoming MP by defeating BJP nominee Kalyan Choubey by a margin of 63,000 votes in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and being expelled from parliament has been a bitter pill for Moitra to swallow. Incidentally, both the candidates of BJP and TMC are the beneficiaries of western education.

If Roy married into the royal family of Krishnanagar after being educated at La Matinier School for Girls and Loreto House, Moitra's background has been similar too. Long before she joined politics, Moitra graduated in economics and mathematics from Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley Massachusetts, USA and worked as an investment banker in JP Morgan at London and New York City.

The collaboration with the English saved Krishna Chandra's life in 1760 when nawab Mir Kasim sought his execution but the intervention of Robert Clive who had led the English company forces three years ago saved Krishnachandra. Roy was conferred the title of "Maharaja" and gifted five canons by the English company knowing well they will never be fired against those who gifted them.

Truth to tell, Siraj-ud-daula is widely regarded as being more sinned against than sinning and is looked up to as a popular hero. Not known to communally discriminating against his subjects, this trait of the assassinated nawab trashes the contention of the BJP nominee that her ancestor Krishna Chandra conspired against his ruler to "protect Sanatan Dharma". During freedom movement, lot of plays were written and became popular depicting Siraj as the fighter for saving the sovereignty of Bengal and Bengalees. One such play was by famous writer Sachin Sengupta which called Siraj as the hero of the Bengalees.

Moitra is calling upon the people of Krishnanagar that Roy being the successor of a traitor is not to be relied on. It remains to be seen whether the voters beckons to her call or supports their "Rajmata" on May 13, the polling day. (IPA Service)