A stalwart in West Bengal politics and the senior-most West Bengal Cabinet Minister,Subrata Mukherjeehas been given Trinamool ticket for Bankura to shore up the party in the face of an aggressive Bharatiya Janata Party. Exuding confidence, Mr. Mukherjee says despite all sound and fury, the BJP will not be able to convert votes to seats.
It appears the BJP has grown in the State. How many seats are the Trinamool expecting?
We will get a huge majority. There is no doubt about that.
But we see a lot of BJP flags as we travel...
They [BJP] do not know how to conduct elections. Can you name four decent candidates in the BJP whom people can vote for? Whoever is expelled from the Trinamool is joining the BJP and getting nomination. They have nominated a candidate in Bishnupur who could not even enter his constituency as the court barred him from entering the district.
But there are plenty of BJP flags…
The BJP has given contracts to put up flags. [Hired individuals] are taking money and putting up these flags; these men are not BJP activists. Even wall writing is given on contract these days. You have to understand that a contest takes place on the basis of a leader…a face…which they do not have.
Even in this situation, you give the CPI(M) a face like that of Jyoti Basu and see what happens … how their vote surges. The Trinamool has Mamata Banerjee, BJP does not have any one.
You are saying there is no groundswell for BJP?
They won’t get seats. It is a temporary phenomenon. They will give a fight but won’t get seats.
If they can put up a fight, why do you think they will not be able to get seats?
There is no CPI(M) or Congress, which is one reason. And, they [BJP] have enough money to distribute without any account and the Prime Minister is camping here. But they will not be able to convert this to seats.
But at the ground level is the Trinamool, too, looking a little shaky?
What are you saying…it is the Trinamool only that has an organisation with a huge number of people supporting us in every seat. The CPI(M) may have some but the Trinamool has the control. Can you say that about the BJP? There is not one seat in the State where the BJP is 100% certain to win as it lacks organisation. You cannot do elections in Bengal just by spending money.
But is it not a fact that at the local level, Trinamool leaders are joining the BJP...?
These [things] always happen, one or two minor leaders move. But that is never a major factor in politics.
