Editorial⁠ With Sujit Nair | Will Mamata Banerjee Merge TMC with Congress?

[00:00:00] When Mamata Banerjee is in trouble, she is looking out for help from the Congress. Why Congress is benefiting? Because her party was broken. Who broke her party? BJP broke her party. Ultimately, who helped Congress therefore? BJP helped Congress. This is what I told you in June. I see that there is a possibility that Mamata Banerjee, if not today, tomorrow will merge with Congress because I don't see much options in front of Mamata Banerjee.

[00:00:30] Namaskar. Welcome to another episode of Editorial. So, Mamata is still not out of the woods. Mamata is going through a lot of bad times, even now. Recently, what has happened is her Rejinagar candidate for her BIPOLS, October BIPOLS, that candidate withdrew. That candidate withdrew his candidature saying that, listen, you know, what is the point of me standing? I am not allowed to campaign.

[00:00:59] So, what is the point of me standing? Her Nandigram candidate, she also has withdrawn. She withdrew one day before. She also has withdrawn. So, Nandigram candidate withdrew. Rejinagar candidate withdrew. Just for your information, Nandigram candidate, the Congress candidate of Nandigram has been put behind bars now. So, he is going to fight from behind the bars. He also has been. He has not withdrawn as of now. But he is behind bars. This is the status of West Bengal.

[00:01:31] Now, this is not it. Mamata Banerjee's name and symbol has been frozen by the Election Commission. This is very interesting. Why did the Election Commission freeze the name and symbol? The Election Commission froze the name and symbol because the Election Commission said, you guys didn't complete the formalities. Since the parties didn't complete the formalities, we don't have time. Election is in October. So, we are going to freeze the name and symbol. Sounds fair, isn't it?

[00:02:01] But that's not exactly how it happened. Trinamul Congress, that is Mamata Banerjee's Trinamul Congress gave all the documentation that was required. At least, that is what she claims. All the documentation that was required was given by Mamata Banerjee. But you know the rebel group who also claims their stake on Mamata Banerjee's, that is the Trinamul's name and symbol. The rebel group, they have not given the documents. Three times, they asked for extension.

[00:02:29] They were given a date, they asked for extension. They were given a date, they asked for extension. Finally, the Election Commission verdict was not that, listen, they have not provided documents for this election. I will give the name and symbol to the original people who it belonged to and then we will decide later on. That was not the decision. The decision was somehow penalizing the Trinamul Congress, Mamata Banerjee group.

[00:02:52] I thought it was penalizing Mamata Banerjee for the simple reason that the actual reason why it is not happening is because of the rebel group. But who benefited out of it? The rebel group benefited out of it. Who was punished? The Trinamul Congress, Mamata Banerjee group was punished. Isn't that the way it is? So story once again, Mamata Banerjee not getting her symbol. Mamata Banerjee losing her name. Now she is going to be called as Mamata's Trinamul Congress.

[00:03:20] And the other group will be called as Democratic Trinamul Congress. So Mamata Banerjee lost her name. Mamata Banerjee's candidates are withdrawing left, right and center. So that's also happening. Everybody is withdrawing. And that's exactly where democracy is standing in West Bengal. Now, let me take you through another aspect of this.

[00:03:42] In June, if you remember, I sat here and told you that Bharatiya Janata Party will be the single largest contributor for Congress's comeback in Indian politics. Bharatiya Janata Party will be the single largest contributor. This is what I had said. Now, NDA is actually or rather Bharatiya Janata Party is actually helping Congress to consolidate those 66% votes. How?

[00:04:11] Because if a person who voted for TMC last time and a TMC candidate last time, that particular voter may not necessarily vote for Bharatiya Janata Party this time because that candidate went and joined Bharatiya Janata Party. Trying to ensure that you decimate, you finish off the regional parties. Finally, the voter is left with only two choices.

[00:04:38] Either vote for Bharatiya Janata Party and the parties around it or vote for the opposition. That is Congress. So you are actually technically consolidating Congress by killing regional parties, by decimating regional parties. Because then in this country, it will be Democrats and Republicans. It will be BJP and Congress at the end of the day. And if it is BJP and Congress, it is not necessary that BJP will take away the vote share and it will be an easy win for BJP and all that.

[00:05:08] Because that's what the numbers say. You see, when Bharatiya Janata Party broke regional parties, powerful regional parties, they crushed them, they broke them. They got their people to defect to other parties and then possibly whatever that helps Bharatiya Janata Party. When all that was being engineered, the one party that was benefiting on the sideline was Congress. And the one party that is benefiting is Congress.

[00:05:36] I said that then and it is very happily that I say, I look, I told you so. Now what has happened? Mamata Banerjee is in trouble. When Mahmata Banerjee is in trouble, she is looking out for help from the Congress. She approached Rahul Gandhi for assistance, for help. And Rahul Gandhi very readily gave that help. Very readily gave that help.

[00:05:59] She said, in the interest of the nation, I am going to support the India Alliance and I am going to support the Congress candidate completely in West Bengal. This is what she said. We have decided idea also. No thing we are going to give our support to Congress party. It is for the greater interest of the country. To strengthen the Indian Alliance.

[00:06:41] She said, we will work as one team. This she never said in 2024. This she never said in 2019. But now she is saying this. She is saying this. Who is benefiting? Congress is benefiting. Why Congress is benefiting? Because her party was broken. Who broke our party? BJP broke our party. Ultimately, who helped Congress therefore? BJP helped Congress. This is what I told you in June. Watch out.

[00:07:09] The same thing is going to happen in Maharashtra also. Just wait and watch. Just wait and watch. That is the first aspect of my today's editorial. The second aspect of my editorial. One thing I have learned, possibly in the last days of my career, one thing I have learned is that arrogance never helps politics. Arrogance never helps politics. You see, Mamata Banerjee had a fantastic relationship with Sonia Gandhi.

[00:07:38] She always shared a very good relation with Sonia Gandhi. She had a problem with Rahul Gandhi. And a lot of us, whenever we attended press conference where there was a, you know, India alliance time. You know, Mumbai also there was a press conference. You see, one could see the arrogance or the, you know, Mamata Banerjee didn't consider Rahul Gandhi much. So, she was kind of not so very friendly or not so very cordial with Rahul Gandhi.

[00:08:08] I mean, I am sure she was not bad, but she was not very cordial. It was very visible. You know, her lack of courtesy, her, you know, her disdain would be a wrong word. But all the same, her lack of courtesy. Let's stick to that. Her lack of courtesy was very, very clearly visible towards Rahul Gandhi. Her arrogance was very clearly visible. Her arrogance was very clearly visible.

[00:08:31] The fact that she thought she was probably the most happening party and why would TMC would want to be restricted to Kolkata? Why can't she be the head of the, or rule the country? Was something that was there in her mind. That arrogance showed. And I am not even saying that she was completely off the mark because she was very popular. There is no doubt about it. She was a very, very strong leader. There is no doubt about it too. Just because she is in a bad shape currently, we can't take it away from her.

[00:09:00] But the fact remains that that showed too. A lot of people, it doesn't show. When you saw Atal Bihari Vajpayee, you saw Manmohan Singh, it never showed. With, I hope, like I said last time, I hope I am communicating. With Mamata Banerjee, it showed. That arrogance, possibly, has gone. And the fact that that arrogance has gone, gives me hope that there is a possibility that Mamata Banerjee could go closer to Congress.

[00:09:30] Why? There is a possibility that Mamata Banerjee could merge with Congress. I see this as a possibility. I am not saying therefore that it is happening. I am not saying that there is some news or there are some sources that told nothing. I see that there is a possibility that Mamata Banerjee, if not today, tomorrow will merge with Congress. Because I don't see much options in front of Mamata Banerjee. The only thing that was holding her back was her arrogance. And I think that that part has been destroyed.

[00:09:59] Now, there is nothing holding her back. The third part of my today's editorial, then the last part, is that arrogance of Mamata Banerjee. That arrogance of Mamata Banerjee should be a lesson for a lot of politicians, including the Bharatiya Janata Party. You see, Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal was invincible. Invincible. That was the Mamata Banerjee.

[00:10:26] So, to be very honest with you, Mamata Banerjee, of course, it's a lesson to me that in politics, if you are arrogant, it won't work. But it should be a lesson to every politician, including the Bharatiya Janata Party and their top leadership. Arrogance is never permanent. And arrogance will ensure you pay for it. That's for sure. This is the point that I wanted to make tonight. And you guys have a great weekend. Until I see you tomorrow.

[00:10:56] That's tomorrow at, sorry, I see you on Monday at 10. Namaskar.