Didi reality

That significant detail is the municipality of Haldia in East Midnapore. All of the TMC’s gains wash up against its defeat in Haldia,where its self-styled point person,Tamluk MP Suvendu Adhikari,had loudly proclaimed a clean sweep in the 26 wards. The TMC won only 11 of these and the CPM the remaining 15,in an exact reversal of voting patterns in the assembly elections. More importantly,the area around Nandigram,wherein Haldia lies,is where the TMC’s turnaround had begun. The party had taken the wresting of the Haldia municipality from the CPM for granted. But it didn’t happen. This decaying industrial town has left Banerjee with a question to ponder.

A year since coming to power,Banerjee will now have to factor this defeat into her assessment of TMC rule. Before next year’s panchayat elections,she has to dismantle the Haldia model — where the old politics of vendetta had simply changed colour while staying intact,with no thought spared for development. The Haldia upset is also set in the larger context of Banerjee’s idiosyncratic governing style in Bengal and her increasing isolation outside it. Assam CM Tarun Gogoi,for instance,has spoken out against her strong-arm tactics on FDI in retail,criticising her infringement on another state’s right. By continuing to hold the country to ransom and disregarding everybody else’s interests — on the Teesta water-sharing agreement with Bangladesh,the enclave swap,the NCTC,or land acquisition — Banerjee stands to lose much more than Haldia if she doesn’t change course soon.