Didi’s move to weed out graft in TMC may backfire

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s drive to weed out corruption in the TMC by asking local leaders to return “cut money” (bribe for access to government schemes) may backfire.

Her direction to party leaders at a meeting of TMC councillors on June 18 to return “cut money” will put them in a spot where they will not only loose public acceptance as TMC leaders but may also push them towards the BJP.

Although a well-intended move to boost the TMC’s support base in the wake of BJP’s success in Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections, Mamata’s diktat has opened Pandora's box for the TMC.

Ever since her announcements, local TMC leaders have been facing public protests, often backed by the BJP, demanding they return the cut money they have taken.

Such protests have taken place in the districts of Birbhum, Malda, East Dinajpur, Alipurduar, East and West Bardhaman and Hooghly.

Now there are two hurdles for the local TMC leaders, who are councillors and panchayat members, in complying with the party supremo’s direction.

First, if they admit to taking the cut money, it will be difficult for them to succeed in the next year’s civic polls and continue to be in the TMC. Under pressure from both the chief minister and the public, these leaders may have no choice but to shift to the BJP.

With its keen interest in poaching disgruntled TMC leaders, it is unlikely that the saffron party will turn its back on them.

Secondly, if local TMC leaders admit to taking cut money, it will be tantamount to declaring themselves as having committed extortion, a non-bailable offence under sections 384 and 386 of the IPC.

Facing such a predicament, TMC leaders are unlikely to comply with Mamata’s direction and may also question why the same should not be applied to leaders higher up in the party organisation.

The state government has also instructed the police to add section 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the IPC in cases with regard to complaints of demanding cut money by public representatives and government officials, which may lead to life imprisonment for the accused if found guilty.

The situation has become such that the TMC leadership has had to issue a statement that “99.99% of its workers are honest” and the chief minister’s comments were being misinterpreted by a section of the media.