In the sixth month of its tenure, the ruling party has now come under fire from its alliance partner, the Congress. The terminology used by Congress leaders against the TMC-run administration is strikingly similar to that of other opposition parties, especially the CPI(M). TMC leaders appear to take everything in their stride, still in the first flush of power. But with the Congress adopting an assertive posture, there is a new dimension in the political situation in the state.

The Congress took out a march on Friday to protest against recent attacks on party members and supporters by rampaging TMC activists in different districts. Led by MP Ms Mausam Noor, the procession began from Hazra road crossing (the TMC’s base area in Kolkata) and ended near the Gandhi statue at Mayo Road-Park Street crossing, where Ms Mamata Banerjee had held the inaugural rally of her party on January 1, 1998. Clearly, the Congress is delivering a strong message to Ms Banerjee through such symbolism.

Relations have not been warm between the TMC and the Congress for quite some time. The ruling party at the centre refused to announce a special financial package for Bengal despite repeated demands by the TMC, citing constitutional difficulties. The TMC continues to reject suggestions from the centre to increase the state’s revenue earnings, pleading its economic “bankruptcy”, courtesy the 34 year long left rule. More recently, the centre refused to reduce petrol prices despite a TMC threat to pull out of the UPA-II Ministry, a bruising stand-off that ended badly for the TMC.

Now the state Congress has strongly protested against the state government’s decision to appoint supervisory monitoring committees over existing panchayats at different levels, with the BDO being the head of the committee at the block level.

Ms Banerjee told newsmen that the move was made to ensure that the elected bodies worked for local development, after she received negative reports from many areas. The idea was to free the panchayats from unwanted political interference.

First the CPI(M) and now the Congress, have countered this argument pointing out that panchayats run by non TMC parties are not receiving financial help regularly. Also, the panchayats with the worst performance record — those in south 24 Parganas, for instance — are run by the TMC. The TMC would have done better to identify and punish the errant elected panchayat leaders wherever failures have occurred, instead of “subverting elected bodies by the executive in violation of the Constitution”. Strong criticism has been heard from Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, State party President Pradip Bhattacharya and other senior leaders.

In other words, anti TMC sentiments within the state Congress are no longer restricted to Mrs Deepa Das Munshi, Mr. Adhir Choudhury MPs state Minister Manas Bhuyan, or district leaders like Mr,. Sankar Singh. If anything those favouring a softer, more pliable line vis-à-vis the TMC have been marginalised for now. And the active presence of Mr. Mukherjee in the anti TMC camp is clear indication that the party high command, too feels it is time to get tough with the TMC.

With panchayat elections coming up a year later, the stakes are high for both parties. Clearly left parties are not in a position to contest the three tier polls as effectively as before. The race is on between the TMC and the Congress to fill the political vacuum, as Left leaders fear that they may not be able to put up candidates for at least 30 per cent of the seats. There is no doubt again that as of now, the TMC would clearly win far more seats than the Congress. Observers felt this was why Ms Banerjee has been warning the bigger party time and again that it was a junior partner in Bengal and that the TMC would not hesitate to walk out of the UPA if pressured.

As the final face-off nears, it is hard to say which party will blink first. The TMC depends desperately on the Congress to survive effectively as the ruling party in West Bengal, given the state’s dire financial situation. The Congress both at the centre and at the state level feels that it should take down the small party a peg or two by reminding it of its own vulnerability, never mind the by now familiar theatrics of the TMC’s supreme leader.

And only the opposition parties stand to gain later, if not immediately, from the low polemics between the TMC and the Congress. One example : TMC leader and Union Minister Mukul Roy has complained to the Congress for inducting one Mohammad Mokhtar, who was involved in an attempted physical attack on Ms Banerjee at garden Reach some years ago. Unfazed, Congress leaders, yet to respond formally, have pointed out that when the party expelled its MLA Ram Pyare Ram and another activist for anti party activities, who gave them political shelter by rehabilitating them? The TMC, of course. (IPA Service)