Oppn may make Basu8217;s 8220;escape8221; an issue in assembly poll

Calcutta, October 30: Given the mood in the Opposition camp, West Bengal Chief Minister Basu's retirement may well become an issue in the ...

Calcutta, October 30: Given the mood in the Opposition camp, West Bengal Chief Minister Basu8217;s retirement may well become an issue in the next Assembly elections. Though Basu has said he will campaign for the Left Front if his health permits, the Opposition 8212; primarily the Trinamool Congress and the BJP 8212; will try to cash in on Basu8217;s departure so close to the elections.

Mamata Banerjee8217;s unflattering reference to Basu8217;s retirement, in which she described his resignation as an 8220;escape8221;, may be an indicator of that. Cleverly, Mamata Banerjee has tagged her argument about Basu8217;s 8220;escape8221; to the negative aspects of the Left Front8217;s style of governance such as, as she says, the growing 8220;unemployment, lack of infrastructure and industrialisation in the state8221;.

Incidentally, even Basu has admitted, when requested to make an assessment of his tenure, that 8220;there are certain weak areas with the administration which need to be addressed to8221;. However, Basu did not, in keeping with his characteristic style of uttering half-sentences, choose to elaborate.

Though Basu will probably hit the campaign trail soon and reply to the charges of the Opposition against the Front which he led since June 1977 when he was first sworn in as Chief Minister, some LF partners feel 8220;Basu8217;s absence and the anti-incumbency factor may to add to the odds8221;.

Incidentally, CPIM leaders 8212; who may have already understood the way the Opposition may interpret Basu8217;s retirement to the people 8212; have began saying that they aren8217;t worried since 8220;Basu will be with us and guide us in the elections8221;.

Speaking to the Press just after Basu announced his retirement, party state secretary Anil Biswas warned reporters that they shouldn8217;t think that 8220;by quitting the chief ministership, he is taking retirement from politics8221;. What Biswas said apparently echoed Basu8217;s earlier assurance to the party, 8220;I will be with the party till death.8221;

It8217;s also widely believed that till the elections are over, Basu may have to spend more time from home or Allimduddin Street 8212; the party headquarters 8212; guiding his party, Front members and of course, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya who succeeds him next week.

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However, the cutting edge of the Opposition campaign on the retirement issue will also depend on how Bhattacharya carries with him senior ministers of the CPIM and the Front. A successful new Chief Minister, in administrative terms, will no doubt leave Banerjee8217;s broadsides on the issue of Basu8217;s retirement a little blunt.