Mamata cannot be trusted as anti-BJP voice: West Bengal Congress chief

West Bengal Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee cannot be trusted as an anti-BJP voice because of her policies and dalliance with the saffron camp in the past. Excerpts of an interview with TOI’s Subodh Ghildiyal:

Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee is trying to form an anti-BJP front of regional parties. How do you see the development?
The regional parties want to ensure that they are able to extract their pound of flesh whoever comes to power. Or, if they are lucky, somebody can become a Chandrashekhar or Deve Gowda (PM). Now, Mamata met K Chandrasekhara Rao, CM of Telangana, but inside Parliament, TRS helps BJP. How will people trust such a front? Mamata is aspirational and wants to become the PM. She does not express her desire in words but her actions make her ambition amply clear.

How does Bengal Congress view Mamata in her role as anti-BJP voice?

Not convincing. It is the same Mamata who had invited BJP to Bengal. People were alien to the concept of BJP or RSS ideology. But Mamata became the first leader from Bengal who espoused the policy that BJP was not untouchable. She allied with BJP when she found it convenient, when she felt Congress was beneficial, she took help of Congress. She is an opportunist leader.

If so many regional leaders are meeting her, there must be some reason?
She is claiming that she alone can lead the anti-BJP forces. But in Bengal, during the regime of TMC, hundreds of RSS ‘shakhas’ were opened and they are thriving. For many years, we never heard any word against BJP from Mamata. Her rhetoric against BJP is a new phenomenon which became visible and audible in the wake of ‘Narada’ and ‘Sarada’ scams. In future, if she thinks she will gain more benefit by allying with BJP, she will do it.

Is the growth of BJP in Bengal linked to any Hindu polarisation in the state?
Hindu polarisation has taken place very discreetly and Mamata shall be held responsible for polarisation of Bengal. Mamata tried to establish herself as messiah of the Muslim population by offering them sops. It was exploited intelligently by BJP. The polarisation was set in motion by policies pursued by Mamata. But she has realised that her appeasement has begun alienating Hindu votes from TMC. She is now trying to reverse the situation by pleasing Hindu religious leaders.