Is Sovan Chatterjee turning out to be another 'Mukul Roy' for Trinamool Congress? Chatterjee resigned from the West Bengal cabinet on Tuesday allegedly because he was unable to face the constant ridicule and rebuke of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was seen publicly scolding him recently.
Banerjee is known for being temperamental and scolding and insulting leaders in her party. Owing to this, many senior leaders maintain a safe distance from her. But Chatterjee was among the handful of TMC leaders who was always seen accompanying Banerjee at the state secretariat and even outside. In return, these few enjoyed power in the government and in the party.
Chatterjee was first made Kolkata mayor and was later inducted into the state cabinet with a few portfolios. It was his relationship with a college lecturer that seems to have irked Banerjee, who asked him to concentrate on his work. Chatterjee reportedly was failing to accord priority to his work in Kolkata corporation and in the government as well.
While Chatterjee is used to scolding and insults by the chief minister and would take them in his stride, he was upset after she publicly insulted him over his personal life and relationship. He had, in the past, offered to tender resignation four times, but the chief minister had turned them down.
On Tuesday, however, things took a more serious turn when the chief minister allegedly scolded him inside the state assembly and at a function of the government in the presence of the other ministers and bureaucrats.
Chatterjee went to his Kolkata corporation office for a few minutes. He returned with a printout of his resignation letter and went to the chief minister's principle secretary to offer resignation. He, however, hasn't dropped any bombshell against his political guru even as sources claimed that the chief minister attempted to mollify him one last time. Chatterjee refused to relent and forwarded his resignation letter to Governor K.N. Tripathi.
However, Chatterjee did not resign from the post of Kolkata mayor although the chief minister had asked him to do so, suggesting that his decision to quit the cabinet was hardly an impulsive one. The chief minister had issued an order to Corporation Commissioner Khalil Ahmad, asking him to take charge as mayor, but he was unable to do so as Chatterjee enjoys full confidence of the house. According to corporation rules, a majority is required to impeach the mayor and the new mayor should be from among the councilors.
Meanwhile, Banerjee is likely to move a bill in the West Bengal assembly on Thursday to amend the law of the Kolkata Corporation, the chair of which was occupied by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Chittaranjan Das and many other freedom fighters. State government would amend the law to pave way for an outsider (who is not a councilor) to take charge as mayor and within six months he or she would have to get elected by people. Banerjee is planning to appoint a minister close to her as the new mayor.
These latest developments in the state begs the question if Chatterjee will be the new rebel for the TMC. If he decides to revolt against the chief minister and the party, he would be the second prominent TMC leader to do so after Mukul Roy.
The BJP, nonetheless, was dismissive of the suggestion that the party reach out to Chatterjee as state unit chief of the party Dilip Ghosh said, "His resignation as a mayor would be a welcome state for BJP."
However, many are of the opinion that nothing can be ruled out in West Bengal politics as the BJP is known for changing its stance whenever it suits them. The issue of Chatterjee's resignation assumes all the more significance as he is one of the accused in the Narada sting operation.
