Mamata's promises

Ms Banerjee should not waste her mandate, if she wins

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee remains an enigma to many, despite her long years in politics and her record in government at the Centre, and the jury is still out on what kind of government she will offer West Bengal if her party defeats the long incumbent Left front. Ms Banerjee’s recent record in the Union railway ministry is mixed — neither too worrisome nor too inspiring. The Indian Railways may not be in desperate need of a turnaround, but the hapless state of West Bengal is. Most political pundits expect Ms Banerjee to win the elections to the state assembly because the people of Bengal are fed up with three uninterrupted decades of Left Front rule. It is a negative vote, an anti-incumbency vote at long last, rather than a positive vote that most expect will bring Ms Banerjee to office in Kolkata. Curiously, she has herself chosen not to contest the elections, stating that she needs all the time to campaign for others. This cannot be the real reason. The stakes are high for Ms Banerjee and she does not want to become victim of electoral sabotage by the communists who have perfected the art of booth-capturing and rigging in Bengal. Once sworn in as chief minister Ms Banerjee would have the government under her control and she can expect a fairer poll.

Ms Banerjee is obviously aware of the fact that many in Bengal’s middle and business class worry about what kind of government she would offer. Her decision to field Ficci secretary-general Amit Mitra in the elections, with expectations that he would become the state’s finance minister, should reassure investors and business persons. Ms Banerjee must say more and do more to show convincingly that she will rebuild Bengal into once again being one of India’s foremost industrial states. The TMC’s election manifesto is certainly re-assuring on that count. It promises a three-pronged strategy to revive the state’s industrial glory with a focus on micro, small and medium enterprises; plans to restart and remodel closed PSUs; and, new large-scale projects in labour-intensive sectors like engineering, steel, tea, jute, textiles and other areas of manufacturing, mining, power and food processing. Ms. Banerjee’s slogan, “Agriculture is our inspiration, industry is in our consciousness” echoes the Left’s own slogan of 2006 “Agriculture is our foundation, industry is our future”.

To show that she means business, Ms Banerjee has spelt out a 200-day agenda of social and economic development, which is quite impressive. However, for Ms Banerjee to carry conviction she should demonstrate her commitment to a new culture of constructive politics. On issues like bandhs and general strikes, which have been the bane of Bengal’s economy, the TMC has been no different from the anarchic communists. Ms Banerjee should have no illusion that the people of Bengal are in fact seeking to ‘throw out the old’ rather than ‘ring in the new’. Hence, they want to see a very different style of functioning. A virtual regime change. Which means Ms Banerjee does not have to spend money buying votes. But she must be prepared to raise money and invest it wisely after the votes are in and her government has to manage the fisc.