On the first day of polling in West Bengal on Saturday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee got caught up in a controversy after the BJP released an audio clip, where the Trinamool leader was purportedly heard requesting a former TMC leader Prolay Pal, who has now joined the BJP, from Nandigram to rejoin her party and help her win the constituency.
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From Nandigram, the seat which is a prestige battle for Mamata Banerjee, the BJP has fielded the chief minister’s protege and former aide Suvendhu Adhikari. Ten years ago, Mamata Banerjee, while riding the Nandigram anti-land acquisition movements, had ended the 34-year-old Left Front’s regime in 2011, and since then had been ruling the state unchallenged.
The saffron surge in Bengal in the last few years has led to a bitter fight between the two sides. Mamata Banerjee is fighting hard to defend her fort despite many of her top leaders switching to the BJP. Her close aide Adhikari, a former minister in the Trinamool Congress government, joined the BJP in December last year along with other MLAs.
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As Bengal polled in 30 of 293 seats in the state, a BJP delegation, led by party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, met the state’s chief electoral officer and handed over the alleged audiotape, claiming that Banerjee was using her official position to influence the outcome of the elections.
Mamata Banerjee’s party rejected the allegations and questioned the authenticity of the audiotape. The party, however, was quick to add that since Prolay Pal was a former TMC leader who switched over to the BJP, there was nothing wrong with Banerjee trying to woo him back.
“First of all, the clip is not verified. We don’t know whether it is true or false. But we don’t see anything wrong with a politician calling her former leaders or aides. This is quite natural in politics,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.
In the audio clip, a woman who the BJP claims to be Mamata Banerjee was heard saying: “You should help us win Nandigram. Look, I know you have some grievances, but that’s due mostly to the Adhikaris who never allowed me to get into Nandigram or East Midnapore.”
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Banerjee purportedly told Pal in a phone call to rejoin TMC and that she “will take care of everything henceforth.” Pal is a BJP official in East Midnapore, the district where the family of Suvendhu Adhikari holds sway.
The former TMC leader, a loyalist of Suvendhu Adhikari, was heard saying in the clip: “Didi, you called me and I am honoured. But I can’t betray the Adhikaris as they have stood by me through thick and thin.”
The BJP was quick to attack Mamata Banerjee over this, alleging that the chief minister was sensing defeat in Nandigram, and therefore she was pleading to her ex-colleagues to join back the TMC.
BJP’s social media head Amit Malviya tweeted, “Massive! Mamata Banerjee calls Proloy Pal, BJP’s district Vice President in Nandigram and pleads for help! Proloy tells her that he was humiliated in TMC, and he, along with this family, cannot betray the BJP. Pishi is definitely losing Nandigram and TMC Bengal.”
About the authenticity of the video, party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said: “I am saying what I am saying with full responsibility (jawabdari). She’s imploring (yachna) for help. It shows she has accepted defeat.” Opoyi, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio tape.
The high-profile Nandigram seat will vote on April 1 in the second phase. The elections are being held in eight phases in West Bengal beginning March 27. The tenure of the 16th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal will end on May 30 this year.
(With inputs from PTI)
