The Rediff Political Interview/Somen Mitra

'The best way to tackle a nuisance like Mamata is to ignore her'

With Congress president Sitaram Kesri praising him for the successful organisation of the three-day plenary session in Calcutta, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Somen Mitra is on cloud nine.

Mitra is now working with renewed zeal to revitalise the state party unit where his bete noire Mamata Banerjee keeps breathing down his neck.

Locked in a do-or-die battle for supremacy in the state, neither leader is willing to throw in the towel and Mamata has already launched her own party.

Taking time off from his busy schedule, Mitra spoke to Tara Shankar Sahay.Excerpts from the conversation:

Congratulations for the successful organisation of your party's plenary session. As the West Bengal Congress chief, you must be very happy but what are you going to do about Mamata?

I have more important things to do than waste time by talking about somebody who scarcely matters. She is a non-issue as far as I am concerned.

But you have to be concerned considering that she drew almost 300,000 supporters to her parallel rally right next to the venue of the plenary session. Doesn't that bother you?

People came to listen to her more out of curiosity than any genuine desire to hear a speech. After all, she is seeking cheap publicity by hurling abuses at those who have called her bluff. I am one of them.

Some Congressmen in Calcutta have alleged that you have won over Kesri by painting Mamata in a negative light.

I can understand your appreciation of Mamata. But it is not easy to fool Kesri. He has over 50 years experience in politics and is a shrewd judge of people. If he has entrusted me with the responsibility of the West Bengal PCC, there must be some good reasons for doing so.

Kesri has said he will initiate action against Dr Jagannath Mishra for launching a separate party. But he seems to be overlooking what Mamata has done. Does it imply that Kesri is apprehensive about Mamata who has so convincingly demonstrated her following?

I would not like to comment on this because this is our party chief's prerogative. However, you must be aware that our party leadership gives a long rope to those resorting to indiscipline before hanging them with it. Nobody can get away with blatant indiscipline and character assassination.

What's your reaction to Mamata's charge that you are a Marxist at heart, who has disguised as a Congressman?

(laughs) What can you say about a court jester? In her anxiety to usurp power, she knows that she has to sound weird and act as a rebel within our state unit.... The best way to tackle a nuisance like Mamata is to ignore her. I think our leadership follows that course.

But you cannot deny that the Marxist government in West Bengal has gone out of its way to help your party organise the plenary session. Is that why Mamata is trying to take a dig at you?

Don't be naive. If we were in power in the state and if the CPI-M held its conference and requested our assistance, we would give it. What is wrong with that? Such arrangements are commonplace. If that has given Mamata a handle to hit us, so be it. Who cares?

What are your priorities for revitalising the local Congress unit?

Strengthen out party at the grassroot level, fight communalism and anti-Congressism, instil courage and a sense of purpose among the youth, and he prepared for any eventualities. Kesriji has spelt our priorities and we are going to follow them with devotion.

What do you think are your party's shortcomings?

As you must have heard, many Congress leaders emphasised the importance of introspection in ridding the party of all evils. We are in the process of assessing our strengths and weaknesses and we will take the requisite measures.

Do you really think the Congress can challenge the Left Front government in West Bengal which has been in power in the state for three decades?

Our people want a change. They are fed up with the CPI-M and the Left parties's chicanery and opportunism.

We have taken an oath at the plenary session that we will woo back the people with our policies and programmes. Under Kesri's leadership, there is a new sense of purpose and zeal to march ahead and we will overcome all impediments.

Dissidence continues to trouble Congress in almost all the states. What is your strategy to unite partymen?

The Congress is a democratic organisation where the voice of dissent is never stifled. Our aim is to carry our partymen with us, rather than punish them. But if indiscipline and dissidence gets out of control, we know how to handle the situation.

Tell us what you think of this interview