The importance of being Mamata

The importance of being Mamata Anita Katyal NEW DELHI: Despite strong resistance from his party colleagues, Prime Minister Vajpayee is pressing hard for the reinduction of Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee into the Union Cabinet. He is credited with the view that Mamata still remains the BJP's best bet in fighting the Left in West Bengal. He also believes nothing should be done to push her to the Congress camp.Several senior BJP leaders are reported to have raised queries about the "importance of Mamata" particularly in view of the string of poll reverses to her credit. They cite her mercurial temperament, waning credibility and electoral track record in making a case for keeping her out of the Cabinet or, at least, denying her a plum ministerial portfolio. NDA sources said the PM, however, has set his sights on next year's Lok Sabha polls and he believes that marginalising Mamata would only end up helping their opponents in West Bengal. They maintain that if the Trinamul Congress chief is "allowed to decline", the field will be open for a straight Congress-Left battle. "The BJP stands no chance in such a scenario," remarked a senior NDA leader, adding that if Mamata were to leave the NDA, the BJP will probably not be able to win even one seat. It is pointed out that it is in the BJP's interest to revive Mamata's sagging image by giving her a high profile at the Centre. A ministerial berth would help her become a rallying point for the "anti-Left" elements in the state, it is argued. BJP leaders admit that their party has a negligible presence in West Bengal, stating that the two seats which the party won in the last Lok Sabha election was essentially because of its poll pact with Mamata's Trinamul Congress. The PM's aides also admit there has been a sea change in Mamata's popularity graph since then. She has since walked out of the NDA, tied up with the Congress in the last assembly elections only to come a cropper. She subsequently returned to the NDA and has been waiting to get a Cabinet berth. Despite all these negatives, the PM believes that if the BJP wants to make even a small dent, it can do so only by aligning with the Trinamul Congress. "What option do we have in this case," said a senior BJP leader, stating that in a situation when every single seat matters, giving a Cabinet berth to Mamata is a small price to pay to get a couple of victories in the Left Front bastion. The BJP leadership is not too concerned about Mamata's poor performance in the recent panchayat elections. "Her base is in urban areas and we believe that if two parties join hands, the BJP will not be at a loss," remarked PM's aides. Accommodating her is also being seen as a reward for sticking by the NDA and not going back to the Congress fold.