Kolkata: In spite of all the accusations of the involvement of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders in the Saradha chit fund scam, Mamata Banerjee’s party is all set to win the prestigious battle for Kolkata Municipal Corporation, for the third time in a row.
For the voters in Kolkata, there is very little choice, as a weak, unorganised leaderless opposition cannot even think of taking on the Trinamool.
To Mamata’s credit, she took all opposition and criticism in her stride and focused on development of the city which just some years ago resembled a city that had survived a war. During the past five-years, she ensured that major thoroughfares which had potholes that resembled craters on the moon’s surface were filled out and the roads were better. Water logging, especially during monsoons, which was a massive concern for people, especially in the northern part of the city is now a thing of the past.
The garbage disposal system is today much more systematic with the introduction of compactor machines wiping out the filth and dirt in large stretches. Bus stands which were almost non-existent, are now well-decorated and few of them are even air-conditioned. Street lighting has also improved considerably, as the even lanes and by-lanes are now well-lit, while the boulevards are decorated with plants adding to greenery in the city.
“If the party in power delivers, then people generally ignore the stench of corruption,” observed a former journalist on a social media platform.
Other observes that for the average voter, the scam that has till date put several cabinet ministers and parliamentarians behind bars is a political hot potato, a bargaining chip for the BJP for TMC’s support in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of parliament).
On the other hand, much to TMC’s delight, the BJP, which saw a massive rise in vote share during 2014 parliamentary elections mostly due to the “Modi wave”, was unable to recreate this wave during the polls. An analysis of the 2014 results reveals the saffron outfit won 26 of the 144 municipal wards in the city and came a close second in 31. A year later, it is fighting for the second runners up spot along with the Congress party.
Also to Banerjee’s credit, she has been able to hold the party together in spite of letting go Mukul Roy who was considered to be the de facto number two in the party and the principal architect of the party’s cadre base.
“We are not at all affected by anyone leaving the party. People vote for TMC because of Mamata’s popularity, not anyone else,” said Partha Chatterjee, TMC secretary-general.
