Siblings who grew up supporting Congress to contest Kolkata civic polls on TMC, BJP tickets

Their father had represented the Congress in the state Assembly while their uncle had represented the BJP

A pair of siblings, born to a family that has remained dedicated to Congress Party for decades, will be representing the Trinamool and BJP in the upcoming Kolkata municipal elections.

Rajesh and Rajeev are sons of late Anay Gopal Sinha, a popular Congress leader who also represented the party in the state Legislative Assembly in 1996. Anay’s brother Krishna Gopal Sinha was associated with Janata Party.

Rajesh and Rajeev have spent their yesteryears in the Congress but opted for the Trinamool and the BJP, carrying forward a family legacy of representing different political ideologies and thriving together, rather than against one other. The family, during the campaign, has drawn strong attention in local media.

Rajeev, the younger brother, is contesting on a BJP ticket. He was also a part of Congress’s student wing. In 2015, he fought civic elections on a Congress ticket. But in 2019, he joined BJP. “Our group (of political workers) found inspiration in Prime Minister Modi. Also, people close to me suggested that given my potential, I should go ahead and join the BJP,” Rajeev told Deccan Herald.

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When asked if it’s the "opportunism" that led the brothers to different parties than the one they grew up supporting, Rajeev said, “My brother has been with the Trinamool for a decade now. If I was an opportunist I would have looked up to him. Joining the BJP is an independent decision. The local Congress leaders (then) didn’t let me work.”

Rajesh, the older brother, is contesting from a different ward as a Trinamool candidate. “I like Mamata Banerjee’s ideals, so I am in the Trinamool. My brother liked the BJP, so he joined the party. We leave politics out of the family. When we meet at home, or on some occasion, we don’t indulge in talking politics,” Rajesh said.

Rajesh joined the Trinamool in 2010. Like Rajeev, he too has grievances concerning the party the family once propagated. The senior Congress leadership cared more for the Left (as it was an ally at the Centre), neglecting the difficulties its cadres faced in the state as they tussled with the Left for space. This attitude disturbed Congress supporters in the state, he said.

Officially, both the brothers still share their family home as their address, but stay separately for campaign-related work. “I don’t consider this ironic, the fact that a family can have differing political ideals. I would rather consider the family to be a fortunate one,” said Rajeev.

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