KOLKATA: By refusing to back a candidate from the Darjeeling Hills to the Rajya Sabha, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has chosen to be a politician rather than a statesman. She may get one more Trinamool Congress candidate elected to the Upper House, or score brownie points over Congress, but has lost the chance to win the goodwill of the people in the Hills, say observers.
Such a gesture would have come in handy when the state government is unable to hasten up the process of finalization of additional areas for Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, they say.
As things stand now, the victory of the fourth Trinamool candidate depends on a number of uncertainties, like the number of valid votes and complexities of second and third preference votes. If the lone Congress candidate wins on the strength of surplus votes of the Left Front, Mamata can steal a political march over Congress by branding it the 'B team' of CPM. But PCC president Pradip Bhattacharya ruled out seeking help from the LF. "We will make it on our own strength," he said.
Upset over Mamata's decision not to extend support to its candidate, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to boycott the Rajya Sabha polls. If the CM had reservations about supporting a GJM nominee, she could have proposed a non-political candidate from the Hills and given the surplus votes of Trinamool to the candidate, it was pointed out. Congress would have found it difficult to deny support to such a candidate.
Instead, the way GJM was told 'no', smacked of politicking. On Friday, GJM leaders had a meeting with the CM in Kolkata. That they would raise the Rajya Sabha issue was foregone as they were arriving after adopting a resolution on the subject. Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee, however, announced the names of four party nominees before that.
Senior Congress and Trinamool MLAs refused to comment on whether the Hills has been given a raw deal. "This is not my subject, so I will not comment on this," Trinamool chief whip Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said. "As AICC has taken a decision to nominate a candidate, we have to abide by it," Congress minister Manas Bhunia said.
CPM Rajya Sabha member from the Hills, Suraj Pathak, denied that CPM, too, could have floated the proposal for a consensus candidate from the Hills. "It should have been the duty of Trinamool and Congress to have ensured a seat to Rajya Sabha from the Hills."
Former assembly speaker Hashim Abdul Halim said during the rule of the Left Front, "by convention," a candidate from the Hills was sent to Rajya Sabha.
If the CM had reservations about supporting a GJM nominee, she could have proposed a non-political candidate from the Hills and TMC could have cast its surplus votes in his/her favour.
Such a gesture would have come in handy when the state government is unable to hasten up the process of finalization of additional areas for Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, they say.
As things stand now, the victory of the fourth Trinamool candidate depends on a number of uncertainties, like the number of valid votes and complexities of second and third preference votes. If the lone Congress candidate wins on the strength of surplus votes of the Left Front, Mamata can steal a political march over Congress by branding it the 'B team' of CPM. But PCC president Pradip Bhattacharya ruled out seeking help from the LF. "We will make it on our own strength," he said.
Upset over Mamata's decision not to extend support to its candidate, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to boycott the Rajya Sabha polls. If the CM had reservations about supporting a GJM nominee, she could have proposed a non-political candidate from the Hills and given the surplus votes of Trinamool to the candidate, it was pointed out. Congress would have found it difficult to deny support to such a candidate.
Instead, the way GJM was told 'no', smacked of politicking. On Friday, GJM leaders had a meeting with the CM in Kolkata. That they would raise the Rajya Sabha issue was foregone as they were arriving after adopting a resolution on the subject. Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee, however, announced the names of four party nominees before that.
Senior Congress and Trinamool MLAs refused to comment on whether the Hills has been given a raw deal. "This is not my subject, so I will not comment on this," Trinamool chief whip Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said. "As AICC has taken a decision to nominate a candidate, we have to abide by it," Congress minister Manas Bhunia said.
CPM Rajya Sabha member from the Hills, Suraj Pathak, denied that CPM, too, could have floated the proposal for a consensus candidate from the Hills. "It should have been the duty of Trinamool and Congress to have ensured a seat to Rajya Sabha from the Hills."
Former assembly speaker Hashim Abdul Halim said during the rule of the Left Front, "by convention," a candidate from the Hills was sent to Rajya Sabha.
If the CM had reservations about supporting a GJM nominee, she could have proposed a non-political candidate from the Hills and TMC could have cast its surplus votes in his/her favour.
TOI
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