Mamata lacks political astuteness: Dissident MP

Kolkata, Nov 22 (IANS) Dissident Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman, who stayed away from the Lok Sabha when the party tabled a no−confidence motion against the UPA, Thursday accused party chief Mamata Banerjee of failing to show political astuteness.

“I must say she has failed to display political astuteness. And because of this, she has to digest political slaps like this,” said Suman, a balladeer−turned−politician who does not see eye−to−eye with Banerjee.

Suman, who stayed put in Kolkata, opposed Banerjee’s decision to move the no−confidence motion.

“I could not accept this. She (Banerjee) says she wants to alleviate poverty. She says she is with the impoverished masses. If she is true to her words, then how can she take a step, which, if successful, would have resulted in mid−term polls which would have cost the nation an enormous amount of money?” he said.

Suman also said the Trinamool Congress should not go to such extremes publicly against its former alliance partner.

“We had won the Lok Sabha polls (in 2009) by aligning with the Congress. We were their alliance partners. So I don’t think we should express our bitter opposition so publicly,” said Suman.

Suman also attacked Banerjee for not taking electoral ally Socialist Unity Centre of India−Communist (SUCI−C) into confidence before moving the no−confidence motion.

“Mamata seems to have forgotten that SUCI−C is our alliance partner,” he said.

After Trinamool’s motion was not admitted by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar for not having the backing of the requisite number of MPs, SUCI−C’s lone member Tarun Mondal said his party was not consulted on the issue.

Suman, an MP from Jadavpur constituency, had earlier penned several songs and blogs criticising various steps of the Banerjee−led West Bengal government.

He had a strained relation with the Trinamool leadership after he raised his voice against alleged corruption among a section of party leaders and openly condemned the joint forces’ operation in the Maoist−affected districts of the state.

He is credited with having changed the face of modern Bengali music in the 1990s by writing and singing about people and their lives.

IANS 2012-11-22 23:04:14