Trinamool Congress came out with its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal on Tuesday and a frantic search for talent to be able to run the state administration was apparent in it.
The Trinamool Congress for long the orphan Opposition in West Bengal consisted largely of Mamta Banerjee and a tight coterie of supporters who stood by her through thick and thin. Now that the prospect of her winning the Assembly polls draws near, Banerjee wants to project an image of a party which has talent and an ability to the run the system. Enter candidates like Ficci secretary general Amit Mitra, to take on West Bengal finance minister Asim Dasgupta.
?Didi (Mamta Banerjee) is also clear in that she wants to fight the CPM with people who have been formerly been within the CPM system. For example, Manish Gupta, who was home secretary in the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government will now be fielded from Jadhavpur againt Buddha himself,? said a source. ?Even if he loses, imagine what damage his campaign can wreak,? he added.
Banerjee has not hesitated from drawing talent from other parties. Her chief strategist is former Vajpayee and Advani aide Sudheendra Kulkarni. She has also roped in cultural icons, till now a Left constituency, in large numbers to make her party more attractive to the chattering classes as well. Actress Debashri Roy, Chiranjeet and Ranjit Mullick have made the cut as has popular singer Nachiketa.
?We have candidates who are true representatives of the people,? said minister of state for health and Trinamool MP Dinesh Trivedi, when asked about the eclectic mix.?We are welcoming talent, wherever it may come from,? Trivedi added. All is not well on this front though. Long time partymen and Trinamool unionists who had been brushed aside for more attractive candidates are upset that they may not be allowed to participate in the party’s moment of glory.