What does Mukul Roy bring to Mamata Banerjees new-look Trinamool?
Hes 67 and is severely diabetic, requiring daily shots of insulin. Some BJP leaders allege hes not too alert these days either, and that he forgets names. Regardless, he creates a buzz, wherever he is. On June 11, Mukul Roy abandoned the BJP and rejoined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in something of a hasty ceremony. Alongside him was his son Subrangshu, who also defected at the same time. The move was so sudden that the BJP had no time to intervene. The saffron partys Bengal minder, Kailash Vijayvargiya, known to be close to Mukul, reportedly tried to contact him as the news hit the media, but Mukul let the call ring to silence. With that, Mukul wound up his almost four-year innings in the BJP. The signs of a rift were there to see. When the BJP learned that Mukuls son had met with TMCs Abhishek Banerjee on June 2at a city hospital when Mukuls wife was critically illthere were some sporadic attempts to ensure his loyalty. These included a visit from Dilip Ghosh, and a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi promising medical help for his wife. Though Mukul tweeted the following day reiterating his loyalty to the BJP, political observers noted the moment. Mukuls time in the BJP may have proved bittersweet. Though he was widely credited for the saffron success in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, from poaching winnable candidates from the TMC to cutting into its voteshare, he remained an election planner, subject to party diktats: Amit Shahs Hum Mamata ko ukhad ke phenk ne ke liye aaye hain (We have come to uproot and throw away Mamata Banerjees government). It was only last July that he became a BJP national vice president, after word got out that he was looking to leave the party. With the BJPs resounding loss in the state election, Mukul may find his wings clipped for the moment, despite his change of party. Though the saffron strategy for 2021 was set by Amit Shah, with hordes of BJP national leaders descending on the state for months to carry it out, he too bears some responsibility for the result. Mukuls help was reportedly mostly sought in bringing in TMC heavyweights like Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee, Sabyasachi Dutta and Silbhadra Duttaand Matua leaders. Though he also made tall claims of how many MLAs he would bring into the saffron fold, the end result was not even a quarter of what he promised. The best of the rebel TMC leaders efforts was 40-50 odd MLAs, with perhaps 100 other leaders of various rank and file. As a result, Mukuls joining the Trinamool, instead of raising expectations and hopes, has led to questions about what new he brings to the Trinamool table, where a lavish buffet is already spread. Delivering a landslide victory with 213 MLAs, despite not having the support of leaders like Mukul, Mamata has proved that she alone is enough to win Bengal. When he joined the BJP in November 2017, the saffron party welcomed Mukul as a most prized catch from the TMC. The word on the street was that the Chanakya of West BengalMukul was reputed to know the entire TMC network, from booths to workerswould severely damage his former party by defecting to the BJP. Then at the peak of his career as TMC second in command, his turn of political coats was seen as a massive win for the BJP, which was organisationally weak in the state, with a poor booth presence. And riding the wave of anti-incumbency in 2019, he delivered a massive win for the BJP, helping it win 18 of the states 42 MPs, only four less than the TMC. Three years have passed since then, with no more shows of Mukul magic in the BJP. The once revered Chanakya was sidelined from decision making and strategy. He was pitched instead as a candidate from Krishnanagar seat, much against his wishes. Though he had a big role to play in candidate selection this time around, it was a flop, with only six of 148 contesting turncoats managing to win. It is likely both Mukul and the BJP realised that he would be shoved to the reserve bench, which explains him exploring the possibility of returning to his old party. Whether Mukul hoped to return to his old positionTrinamool number 2or not, that was always impossible. He has rejoined after Mamata has already handed over the reins of the TMC to Abhishek Banerjee by making him the partys national general secretary. While re-inducting Mukul, Mamata noted his deteriorating health, an interesting signalthat the TMC would not expect anything big from Mukul, but that he should have equally moderate expectations and should treat his political homecoming as a rehabilitation while he recovers his failing health. Mukul likely hopes to show his worth in the changed political landscape by orchestrating a reverse defection of BJP MLAs to the TMC to improve its strength in the state assembly. If he performs well and pleases the supremo, he believes he can easily claim a Rajya Sabha berth, two of which have fallen vacant. The question, then, is if he can reduce the BJPs strength in the assembly. While he still has the clout to sway mid-level and lower political leaders to switch political loyalties, veterans are reportedly more inclined to buy time and watch how his return to the TMC pans out, especially related to his alleged involvement in some financial scams being probed by Central agencies. Without the BJPs political cover, he has suddenly become more vulnerable, with agencies becoming much more aggressive. It remains to be seen what he can deliver for the TMC, beyond merely letting his experience enrich the party. Read India Today magazine by downloading the latest issue: https://www.indiatoday.com/emag