So far so good. But the big question that arises is why the TMC took recourse to dubious methods to win a few more seats. The opposition CPI-M, Congress and the BJP have accused the ruling party of resorting to terror tactics and using muscle power against them. In fact the TMC adopted the same tactics that the CPI-M used to do in the heyday of the Left front rule: preventing poll agents of other parties from entering the booths or throwing them out if they had reached the booths.

In many booths, the screened enclosures where the EVMs were kept for voters to exercise their franchise freely and without fear, saw ‘workers’ of the TMC keeping vigil and sternly asking the voter to press a particular button (which would record a vote for the TMC candidate). Quite often, at places where an opposition party had some strength, there were violent clashes between the TMC and others. The resort to violence was quite unnecessary. Even without strong-arm methods the TMC would have won hands down. The violence only took the sheen off the glory of TMC’s victory.

Another factor that marred the civic polls was the fierce factional fights between different groups of the TMC. In Kolkata it led to the defeat of three party heavyweights: Deputy Major Farzana Alam, Chairman Sachchidananda Banerjee and Councilor Paresh Pal. The Deputy Mayor was assaulted by her party men and had to be sent to hospital. The opposition complained of large-scale rigging. A random sample-survey of results confirmed the opposition charge. The people found that the TMC was doing exactly what the CPI-M used to during its uninterrupted rule of 34 years. The promised paribartan or change that they were eagerly looking forward to proved elusive.

Mamata Banerjee might not have wanted her party workers to resort to the patently undemocratic practices that they did. But, on the face of it, she failed to control her workers at the lower levels where they merrily engaged in a no-holds-barred fight against the opposition parties and against their own rival groups in the party to settle their personal scores, quite regardless of the consequences of their action.

In all likelihood the TMC will win next year’s State Assembly elections also. With the Modi wave receding and the anti-incumbency factor becoming more prominent, the challenge from the BJP may further weaken in a year’s time. The Left is yet to regain its strength. What the CPI-M does in West Bengal under Sitaram Yechuri’s leadership, remains to be seen. The present set of leaders of Bengal CPI-M does not inspire any public confidence or command any respect as they continue to behave in the same way that they did while in power. Their misdeeds are also too fresh in the minds of the people to vote them back to power again.

As against this, the TMC Government has done a lot of good work especially in the rural areas. Better roads, better healthcare facilities, availability of medicines at cheaper rates in government hospital, new schools and colleges in rural and semi-urban areas, provision of rice at Rs. 2 per kg in the jangal mahal areas where once the Maoists held sway, the Kanyasree project entitling girls students to scholarships to carry on their education – all these are plus points for the TMC.

In the long run, however, nothing will be of avail if Mamata cannot control her party workers, weed out the undesirable elements that have infiltrated into the party, restore discipline at all levels, and put an end to the escalating intra-party feuds with an iron hand. If she and her party continue to follow in the footsteps of the CPI-M she will meet with the same fate that the CPI-M did. The sudden emergence and the meteoric rise of the AAP and its sweeping of the Delhi Assembly polls recently shows that no political party can take the people for granted for ever. (IPA Service)