 | | Mamata Banerjee leads the rally through Jadavpur on Saturday. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta |
Calcutta, March 3: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today sought to use a heaving show of strength on the streets to battle not just the CPM but the mounting criticism of her government. But comments from within her party and some sympathisers suggested that the chief minister may have ended up sending the message that street politics rather than governance remains her priority. Trinamul leaders admitted that Mamata's decision to lead a padayatra today was meant primarily to rally people round her in a move to control damage. Lapses in governance in recent months have brought her and her government strident criticism from the CPM, as well as ally Congress and other sections. In focus have been Mamata's remarks about the alleged rapes in Park Street and Katwa being staged acts; a high court directive that the government hand the probe into the Burdwan killing of two CPM leaders to the CID; campus violence; the government's failure to keep its word on buying paddy and potatoes from farmers; and the inability to step up revenue generation. A Trinamul leader said these "lapses" had given the Opposition enough ammunition to "justifiably" attack Mamata and her government. "So, what better way than a street show to deflect attention and, at the same time, rally people round her?" he said. "Today's padayatra was one such opportunity and our leader excels in this." Mamata's decision to extend the march to Gariahat is ample proof of this, the leader said. He pointed out that had she been merely trying to counter her predecessor Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's Wednesday rally, she would have restricted today's programme to the Gangulybagan-Jadavpur area. Many in Trinamul are worried that Mamata's strategy may boomerang on her. "People are worried about the state of affairs in Bengal," a party leader said. "They want to see the government doing its best for the people instead of expending its energies on the streets." Writer Mahasweta Devi, who had almost become a mentor to Mamata during the Singur-Nandigram agitation, expressed her disappointment. "People have high expectations of Mamata.... It is expected that she should first fully focus her attention on delivering good governance. We are all looking forward to it. So, any digression from it may not go down well with people," she said. Theatre personality Bibhash Chakraborty and educationist Sunanda Sanyal, who had backed Mamata in the Singur-Nandigram days, agreed. "Being at the helm of the government, she could have easily ignored the Opposition, which cannot match her mass popularity," Chakraborty said. "Her participation in a street procession may have boosted party workers' morale at a time the government faces a barrage of questions from the media and the Opposition, but that does not mean a chief minister should hit the streets to oppose it (criticism)." Sanyal said he feared that Mamata's actions today could prove "counter-productive". He said: "She should remember that she is the head of the government and not an Opposition leader. Her first priority should be governance." | 
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