Pranabbabu's Hilsa

Pranab Mukherjee is no longer seen by the CPM as a man from Delhi out to deny the state at the instance of the Congress high command, but rather as West Bengal's point man with a happy eye on the Left

Rajat Roy Kolkata

How close is Pranab Mukherjee with the West Bengal CPM? A CPM leader of the state answers obliquely, "In the next general elections, I will go to Jangipur to campaign in favour of 'Pranabbabu'. You know what I will do there? I will simply play the tape-recording of what Prakash Karat had said about him."

Before the presidential election, Karat had said in public that Pranab Mukherjee was the most suitable candidate for the post. Referring to that comment, the CPM leader quipped, "If Pranabbabu could be the fittest candidate for the country's highest constitutional post, than there is no reason why he can't be the fittest candidate to be returned to Lok Sabha from Jangipur."

The reality is that CPM leaders of West Bengal have come to see in Pranab Mukherjee a friendly ally in Delhi. Indeed, gone are those days when the CPM used to remind its voters about Bengal's compulsive deprivation manipulated by the Centre. They would then recall with bitterness about the cancellation of the finance commission's award of Rs 370 crore to West Bengal in 1984 (Pranab Mukherjee was the Union finance minister those days). Now, CPM leaders like Tarit Topdar, a member of Lok Sabha from Barrackpore, are all praise for Pranab Mukherjee.

Topdar feels Pranabbabu has the maturity to understand the subtle changes taking place in national politics. He is no longer seen as a man from Delhi out to deny and deprive the state at the instance of the Congress high command, rather as Bengal's 'point man' in Delhi.

The present and past chief ministers of Bengal share this changed perception: Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and Jyoti Basu. Whenever Bhattacharya needs some delicate help from the Centre, Pranabbabu is there to lend him a patient hearing. Mukherjee, in turn, comes to Bhattacharya when the UPA government needs crucial support from the Left, as in the recent controversy centred round the Indo-US nuclear deal. It was Mukherjee's suggestion that led to that 'sensitive' meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.

Also, earlier, it was Mukherjee who worked out the modalities with the Left to ensure its crucial support for the safe passage of the controversial Patent Bill in Parliament. Not only Bhattacharya, but other CPM MPs like Tarit Topdar, Sudhangshu Sil, Amitava Nandy and Swadesh Chakrabarty are often seen at Delhi's

residence of the foreign minister. Topdar admits, Pranabbabu helps a number of CPM MPs with facts, background and references of precedence. But, he laments, the Bengal CPM does not seem to make good use of this opportunity. "It is due to our weakness, our lack of imagination, that we are unable to utilise this access for the betterment of our state," he says.

Detractors within the Congress say that Mukherjee's closeness with the Left has a personal angle: he depends on the Left for his 'safe passage' to Parliament. And in return, Mukherjee chooses to turn a blind eye to the 'wrongdoings' of Buddhadeb Bhattacharya 's government.