In the process of implementing her single point agenda of staying in power - this has nothing to do with the welfare of West Bengal or its people - she is resetting the existing parameters of centre-state relations. This she does by attacking autonomous Constitutional authorities like the Election Commission, and the judiciary, employing the same scathing terms she reserves for political parties in opposition and the media.

This is probably the first time that a ruling Chief Minister is doing this as a political tactic to stay afloat. But then Banerjee has other “firsts” to her credit. Ever obsessed with her own place in history, she publicly dares the centre to dismiss her government under the provisions of Article 356 of the Constitution. Effective governance not being her strong point, she now wants the centre to make a political martyr of her.

The Congress-ruled centre had dismissed elected state governments in Kerala, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and other states under article 356 in the past. The argument was that the state governments so targeted were unable to fulfill their constitutional obligations on the law and order front or other grounds. Almost always, such dismissals were bitterly opposed by then ruling non-Congress parties.

Such central interventions did not achieve their basic objective — to help revive Congress(I) power in the concerned states. Politically astute leaders like the late Atulya Ghosh had questioned in vain New Delhi’s wisdom of dismissing elected state governments in West Bengal in view of the resultant counter productive political outcome.

There are good reasons why the TMC would welcome nothing better than President’s rule in West Bengal. The bonus of post-dismissal martyrdom for dismissed political parties is attractive. It is also crystal clear that the TMC was, and remains, a party that thrives in opposition only. An aggressive street-fighting agitator like Banerjee could never make a good effective ruler as seen during her disastrous stint as Union Railways Minister. Grappling with the critical economic problems of West Bengal would have called for a wise mix of rare governance abilities like strict fiscal discipline, generation of revenues, getting fresh investments, and total pruning of wasteful expenditure. All this is anathema to the present Chief Minister and her rowdy, disruptive style of politics.

It is common knowledge that two years and more in power, Banerjee and the TMC find themselves under desperate pressure to live up to their tall pre-poll promises. Let alone keeping their pledges, even running the administration on a daily basis is proving difficult for them.

A comprehensive catalogue of the TMC’s short and long-term problems and its abysmal failure in the business of governance would take much space. But even the basic facts are profoundly disturbing. The overall debt burden to the centre, around Rs 1,90,000 crore in 2011 when the party came to power has currently risen to around Rs 2,30,000 crore. The annual interest payment in 2011 was around Rs 21,000 crore, which also continues to rise. The matter assumes importance because this was one of the TMC’s strongest campaign points against the outgoing Left government, coupled with its tall promises. .

The net flow of investment in industries last fiscal was only Rs 312 crore, at a time when Jharkhand and Orissa attracted thousands of crores in major projects. There is no development of industrial infrastructure as the Government’s refusal to provide land for industries has led to the scrapping of road development projects, mining projects and power generation. There is no plan to revive the increasing number of sick industries. The number of official jobs generated, according to the state budget statement, is only around 1,500 during the past one year. The figure does not confirm the Chief Minister’s loud claims of “lakhs of new jobs created.”

The state’s performance in the rural areas has been equally dismal. In the MNREGA project, its position among States was initially 22nd, which later rose to 12th. Small and medium industries, languishing in the absence of the large sector investment complain of increasingly strident demand for “donations” from lawless TMC supporters posing as labour unionists. Despite assurances from the Chief Minister, no leader can control these rampaging groups, which think nothing of beating up policemen in Kolkata city, let alone in the villages.

Police officers have been killed while on duty by TMC backed criminals, teachers and heads of universities heckled and harassed. In crimes against women, West Bengal leads the country, under the TMC rule!

Bad as its performance is, far more worrying for the state is the growing gap between the utterances of its supreme leader and ground reality. Banerjee tells cheering audiences that, ‘Our state is no 1 in NREGA work.’ Two days later the centre releases a list showing that the state was number 22 in terms of performance! The Saradha chit fund group appointed TMC leaders and MPs in top positions of its companies before making off with an estimated Rs 30,000 crore of the savings of poor people (some estimates put it at Rs 50,000 crore).

Banerjee first defended the involved partymen as not being criminal. Then she announced a special Rs 500 core fund for the distressed people, estimated at over 50 lakhs. “Unlike the left front which encouraged and nurtured chit funds, we are the first government in India to announce such a fund to help the poor.” she declared. Two months later, no official notification has been made, as Finance department officials are not sure that the government move is legally tenable.

Such fears are understandable. Whether it is a question of returning land to unwilling farmers at Singur or robbing policemen of their union rights, the state government has created a dubious record of suffering legal defeats and setbacks, from the Magistrates’ courts to the Supreme Court. Only recently, the government decision to revive the entry tax, intended to augment rapidly dwindling official revenues, was struck down as invalid!

Given this situation, it redounds to the credit of Banerjee that she had not yet quit her chair, something she has done before as the Union Sports or Railway Minister. However, she has expressed her dilemma in no uncertain terms. Sample comments heard at her public meetings: ‘Who would have become a Chief Minister if only I knew that things were so bad? No one would have bid for West Bengal even in an auction!’

‘The centre is killing us, our state, our people, by depriving us of our food, starving us … they take away Rs 21,000 crore annually, leaving us no funds for work or development. They have not given us any moratorium as we had asked for.’

The boot is on the other foot. The Centre has repeatedly asked the state to expedite its rural development programme and spend the allotted money on time. And despite repeated requests, the state consistently refuses to produce any economic roadmap, which would ensure the gradual repayment of its large dues from the centre.

What has further complicated the scenario for the TMC and its leader is the break with the Congress(I). Delhi-based analysts say there is little likelihood of any fresh tie-up between the Congress(I) and the TMC prior to the LS polls scheduled for 2014. Till then, the hard pressed state can expect no relief from the centre whether on financial issues or in other spheres. Unlike his mother, Rahul Gandhi favours the new hardline approach against the TMC adopted by the State Congress(I) leadership. In any case, no Congress(I) leader can relish or enjoy the kind of political harangues trotted out by Banerjee with not much respect for truth, at her public meetings.

All in all, truly turbulent times are here for Banerjee, her party and the state. A pity since it is the common poorer people in West Bengal who have paid the highest price for initiating what they perceived to be a major political change. They have been truly shortchanged. Over 80 peasants have committed suicide, West Bengal tops the country in the number of rapes and some 50 lakh people have been robbed of their savings by fraudulent party-protected chit funds. The ruling party and its leader continue to dole out annual donations to local youth clubs (Rs 64 crore in two years), allowances for Masjid Imams (Rs 24 crore), lakhs of rupees in awards to artists, singers, actors and poets, some of them repeatedly. In terms of warped official priorities, the TMC government takes the cake. However, what is truly remarkable is the political tolerance of the people, that is only so far. (IPA Service)