For several decades, politics in West Bengal has been centered on Centre-State relations and the premise that the Union government deprives West Bengal of its rightful dues. Except for a brief period from 2009 to 2012 when the Trinamool Congress was part of the Congress led UPA II government at the Centre, political parties ruling States have not been in power at the Centre. The phrase ‘Centre depriving us’ was a recurrent discourse among Left politicians during 34 years of Left Front rule and since 2011, it has been reiterated by the Trinamool Congress government
Over the past few weeks, the Trinamool Congress leadership has raised its pitch on payment of pending MGNREGA wages to workers in the State. Funds due to West Bengal for the 100-day job guarantee scheme were stopped by the Centre in December 2021, and the scheme has come to a complete halt in the State, triggering widespread rural distress and migration.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written to the Centre on the issue and raised the issue personally with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Trinamool Congress chairperson also sat on a dharna in March 2023 for nearly two days demanding release of funds to MGNREGA and other central schemes. However, the intensity of protests over the past few weeks is something which has not been evident in the past. The entire party leadership rallied behind Abhishek Banerjee on October 2 and October 3 when he took the protests over MGNREGA dues to Delhi.
Moral victory
When the Eastern Railway denied the Trinamool Congress request for a special train to Delhi, about 2500 MGNREGA job card holders who had been denied their wages along with the local Trinamool leadership reached Delhi by road. During the preparations for the protest, the Enforcement Directorate issued notice to Abhishek Banerjee to appear before the agency in Kolkata on October 3, the day when protests were planned in Delhi. His response to the summons was a challenge to the agency on social media “Catch me, If you can”.
After five days of protests, Governor C. V. Ananda Bose’s assurance that he would approach the Centre is being seen as a political and moral victory for the Trinamool Congress leadership. When the protests were lifted after five days Raj Bhawan said it would take up the issue with the Centre, Mr. Banerjee threatened to launch a more decisive protest from November 1 if the Centre did not release funds.
The Trinamool Congress leadership did not approach the Courts when funds to the MGNREGS were stopped and took to the streets of Kolkata with the aim of generating public opinion against the BJP government at the Centre. The protests months before the Lok Sabha polls put the BJP on the back foot and Union Minister of State for Rural Development Sadvi Niranjan Jyoti, who had allegedly refused to meet the Trinamool delegation in Delhi, flew to Kolkata to address a press conference on the issue.
Abhishek taking over
The MGNREGA protest is the first occasion Abhishek Banerjee has led a protest without West Bengal Chief Minister and party chairperson Mamata Banerjee, who is confined to her home due to a knee injury. The entire leadership of the party, including the old guard, accompanied him to Delhi and participated in the protests outside Raj Bhawan.
The absence of the party chairperson during the protests starting October 2 is also seen as a sign that she is gradually passing the baton to her nephew. Since the 2021 Assembly polls, the role of senior leaders and trusted lieutenants of the Trinamool has been diminishing and the stature of Abhishek Banerjee has grown by leaps and bounds.
Even when he was hounded by central agencies, Mr. Banerjee put his energy into reaching out to people and increasing his popularity among the masses spending months campaigning in the districts. Prior to the MGNREGA protest, Abhishek Banerjee was considered number two in the party after his aunt, the developments over the past few weeks are an indication that the 35-year-old MP is emerging as the most important leader of West Bengal’s ruling party.
