WITHIN A WEEK of becoming leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury drew praise from senior leaders from within his party and from the BJP. While UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi congratulated him for his spirited speech a few days earlier highlighting the Congress’s historical contributions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had patted him on the shoulder, calling him a “fighter” in front of other senior leaders.
And it was the fighter in him that took on Modi in his first big speech in Parliament. He pulled no punches; there was even an “abusive” expression which he later apologised for and which was expunged from the records.
Chowdhury, however, claimed a win of sorts when Modi replied to most of his barbs.
Belligerence is the theme of Chowdhury’s politics. Not only did the five-time MP break the rule of the Revolutionary Socialist Party in Baharampur in 1999, but he also survived the left and Trinamool Congress onslaught in West Bengal for three decades.
It was this track record that helped him pip several contenders to the Lok Sabha post, including former Union minister of state Shashi Tharoor, Kodikunnil Suresh (a seven-time MP) and former Union minister Manish Tewari.
His closeness to former president Pranab Mukherjee could also have benefited him. Chowdhury had helped Mukherjee win Jangipur in 2004, which falls in the former’s fiefdom—Murshidabad district—where he has names such as ‘Nawab’ and ‘Robin Hood’. However, his aggression has also seen him getting booked in several cases, including those of murder. He has been jailed several times.
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Chowdhury, who was selected for the post after Congress president Rahul Gandhi declined it, will now be a member of selection committees that choose the chiefs of several government agencies, including the CBI.
Chowdhury’s elevation sends a strong message that the Congress would aim for sharper attacks on the BJP. As leader of the largest opposition party, he gets the first opportunity to counter the government in the house.
Though his vehement opposition to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could affect the parties’ relations in terms of floor management, it is likely to benefit the Congress in the 2021 state elections.
In Parliament, however, Chowdhury’s aggression will be met with superior oratorical skills from the treasury benches, starting with Modi himself. And, all Congress eyes will be on him.
Chowdhury, in his speeches, often makes references to the Battle of Plassey (which happened near present-day Baharampur). But, battling aside, his position in the lower house would also require him to engage with likeminded parties and keep allies close. Legislative finesse, if you will.