Sabyasachi Dutta, chosen as the first mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, had quit the post and the party to join the BJP in 2019. After losing in the Bidhannagar Assembly election in May, he is back in the Trinamul Congress fold and is now contesting for the fifth term as councillor (his wife Indrani was councillor when the seat was reserved for women in 2005-10).
Your last Facebook post with Narendra Modi’s picture was on May 31. And on October 7, you updated your cover photo with one with Mamata Banerjee. How did you return to Trinamul Congress?
It happened suddenly. I had gone to the Assembly to submit my pension papers. Coincidentally it was the day of the chief minister’s swearing-in, which I found out only on reaching. I saw her press meet was going on afar on the lawn. I met and briefly spoke to her security guard on the steps and went my way. Soon after, I got a call from a journalist seeking my reaction. The chief minister, he said, had said that she was requesting the party to take me back. I was about to switch off the phone, apprehending a series of calls from the media when Bobbyda (Firhad Hakim) called, asking me to come downstairs. He was standing there and bantered with me for leaving the party despite him asking me not to. Soon, Didi returned after her oath, accompanied by Bhowanipore and Murshidabad supporters. Once they left, she asked if I had come. I stood up and on spotting me, she said: “Tui onek biplob korechhis. Parthada (Chatterjee, Trinamul general secretary), oke join koran.” Press was called. And you know the rest.
Mamata Banerjee. The Telegraph
So you did not have to make any effort to be allowed to return?
Ami kauke kono likhito abedon, nibedon korini ba doler kono netao amake phirte bolen ni.
Was there any communication with Mamata Banerjee herself?
I quit the Corporation on July 18. I joined the BJP on October 1. If I came face to face with Mamatadi in the interim period, perhaps this (leaving Trinamul) would not have happened. Even after I joined BJP, my wife, I later learnt, was in touch with Bobbyda’s wife and Lata boudi (Abhishek Banerjee’s mother). They are all family friends.
You got a letter from Didi on your birthday (December 1).
I get that letter every year.
Did you get it in 2020 as well? You were with the BJP then.
Yes (smiles).
Good to see that personal relationships prevail beyond politics!
Last year (2020), around September, my missus was down with Covid and her life was at risk. She was in ICU. The phone used to be on round the clock. I had dozed off at dawn. A call came around 8-8.30am with no number showing on the screen.
“Didi bolchhi,” a voice said. I jerked out of my slumber. Amake ja jharlo na! “Tui khub boro neta hoye gechhis, na? Onek Delhi-r neta chine phelechhis. Tor bou hospital ey achhe, tui jananor dorkar bodh korish ni?” Tears came to my eyes. Since then, police officers would keep a tab on her progress.
Your decision to quit Trinamul must have been a well-thought-out one. Was there no hesitation to rejoin that day on the spur of the moment?
I’ve never had a problem with Mamatadi, her family or any senior leader. I did have a problem with one or two people at the local level. Kaj korte parchhilam na. Disturbance hochchhilo. The main problem was a difference of opinion about the state electricity board. I was the president of their employees’ union. They were not getting increments. So I had to speak up for them. Yes, I did make a lot of anti-party statements then.
How bad a setback is quitting the party for your political career?
Politics is not my bread and butter. My business is. Politics is my hobby. That I do with a lot of passion. Even after I lost in May I attended all BJP meetings. And I have always told them why I thought we lost. Language was a vital problem. Home minister Amit Shahji started speaking at a packed FD Park at 7pm. Within 10 minutes, the audience started leaving in hordes. In contrast, at 9.30pm the same evening, Mamatadi spoke at BF Park and not a single person left till her speech ended.
Did you introspect after the polls?
Politically, I lost for the first time. But I believe I did not lose as an individual. I lost only because the photo behind me was not of Mamata Banerjee. People had chosen to vote for her.
After the result, I did a booth-wise analysis and realised that Bengalis as a bloc are pro-Mamata Banerjee. Even the Marwaris were divided half way. Many are happily doing business here in peace. The other half voted for me. That’s why I lost by only about 7,500 votes whereas in neighbouring seats, BJP lost by 28,000-58,000 votes.
Sabyasachi Dutta. The Telegraph
Bidhannagar went to polls in the seventh phase. By then, the Covid figures were so high that barely 35-40 per cent voted in Salt Lake. A Marwari household has 35-36 voters. One had Covid, so the whole family did not step out to vote. This happened in so many blocks.
The third reason was the thoughtless comments of Bengal BJP leaders. An elderly woman was holding meetings with a bandaged leg. Ekjon leader bole dilen uni Bermuda porun. Not a single woman voted for us. Even my wife said: “What kind of comments are these?” Some rash comments were made by a state leader on the Sitalkuchi firing too.
Even the Jai Sri Ram chant did not work in Bengal. I had also asked central leaders to field Muslim candidates in 30-35 seats. Narendra Modi kyano, swayang bhogoban esheo kichhu seat ey BJP ke jetate parbe na — Bhangor, Garden Reach, Deganga, Amdanga, Baduria, Haroa, Hingalganj, Minakha… If you are sitting for a 100-mark exam, and you start by skipping 30 marks, you will get at best 50 out of the remaining 70 marks you attempt. The other student is getting an easy 28 out of that 30 and then starting to answer these 70 marks. Who is likely to do better? Not a single Muslim candidate was fielded.
Also I used to insist on voter list scrutiny. CPM taught us that. If dead or absent voters remain on the list, those in power will make use of those gaps. But they made fun of me for saying that. The local BJP leaders also lied about booth-level preparedness. There are 77-78,000 booths in Bengal. They claimed they had booth committees everywhere. But about 8,000 booths did not have booth committees. Doodhey jol diley doodh phutiye abar garo kora jaay. Arey bhai, ekhane toh joley dudh! Sudhu five star hotel-ey boshey mithye katha boley “Delhi, taka dao, taka dao” korechhe. They never asked me what candidate would be appropriate in Rajarhat New Town. I was MLA there for 10 years. They fielded such a candidate (Bhaskar Roy) that they lost by 56,000 votes! Even this time, the candidates they have fielded in wards 1 to 5 will get less votes than NOTA (None of the above). Anyway, I am not in that party any more.
Is it true that Mamata Banerjee herself recommended your name as candidate for this poll?
I have heard this from others. Didi walked into the meeting and told Subrata Bakshi: “Bakshi da, amar ektai prarthi achhe — Sabyasachi. Bobby, Abhishek, Kakoli, kichhu bolar achhey?” Everyone said no and they started discussing the other wards.
You are having to contest against your one-time party colleague Devasish Jana.
Yes. I will never say he does not know the place or people do not know him. He was councillor of one of the blocks. Now a ward has five blocks. Amar mathar opor Mamata Banerjee-r chhobi ache, or mathay nei. That will be the decider. Gandhi ji na hote parleo Nathuram Godse hoye labh achhey. Even if he loses, people will say he lost to Sabyasachi Dutta. Another reason is BJP got the highest lead here in Bidhannagar, of 1,400-odd votes of the 4,500 votes cast.
What will you say against him in campaigns?
Jana is a good friend. Bhalo bondhu, baje dol. I used to be serious in the mayor’s chamber and go over to his room to crack jokes and lighten up. I used to call him JJ, standing for “jonjal Jana” (he being in charge of conservancy). Anyway, I do not need to campaign. This is my sixth term (as a people’s representative). I will sit in the swimming pool and chat with people. Voters in my ward are highly educated. They don’t need to be told anything.
Of the three local ward coordinators who replaced you, Jana and Anindya Chatterjee, two got tickets (Ratna Bhowmik and Ranjan Poddar). Only the person in your ward, Supriyo Chakraborty, did not. Are you worried about lack of co-operation?
Not at all. The appointment of ward co-ordinator was a stopgap arrangement. And Supriyo Chakraborty was never voted to office. Swati Banerjee, Nilanjana Manna or Sudhir Saha can say they were. The block committees are with me. I always file four nominations. This time, my proposers are secretary of AE (Part 2) Tapas Sengupta, CE Block president Sudhir Saha, BF Block president T.P. Dutta and eminent businessman Kamal Gandhi.
The swimming pool and the Salt Lake Maitree Sangha Kali puja were your domain. With a new committee in place mentored by Sujit Bose, it must have felt bad to spend Kali puja this year attending pujas elsewhere.
Thik achhe, koruk na. Ami toh 25 bochhor korechhi. Bachcha chheleder hatey emni-y chharbo. Shob kichhur ekta retirement achhey. I will back them. I am still there at the swimming pool.
You were talking of facing local opposition before quitting the party. Are you worried about followers of other leaders not working for you?
The party supremo is Mamata Banerjee. Mamatadi did ask if anyone had anything to say when she proposed my name. Sujit (Bose, who Dutta fought and lost to in the Assembly election) was there at the meeting. He would have spoken out if he had an objection. All Trinamul workers will work for me. Swati Banerjee stays in AE Block and is already on the field.
Lot of hoardings were put up in Sector I and II after the election results when speculation was rife about your return to Trinamul, saying those who badmouthed the party were not welcome back. Though no names were taken, you must have felt bad.
I do not know who put those up. No names were there. Amar kharap lagar ki achhey? Kakey kan niye gyachhe, ami ki kaker pechhone dourobo? Ami toh phirte abedon nibedon korini. The party is being led by Mamata Banerjee, with Abhishek Banerjee in front. They are the decision makers.
What will you tell voters?
Bolbo ektai katha. Ghar-er chhele ghar-ey elo. Dekhun, BJP nei market-ey. About Left Front and Congress, less said the better. Forward Bloc’s candidate is from Narayanpur and Congress’ from Sukantanagar. They might end up under NOTA. My only worry is how many people will come out to vote. The way corona is spreading...
What is your prediction?
I think it will be 41-0 or 40-1. In Ward 14, Bidhan Sardar wins every time. So they might pull through.
Your biggest legacy as mayor was ridding Salt Lake of illegal encroachments. The footpaths are being taken over again. Can you promise a repeat?
That and clearing the way for the Airport-New Garia Metro by removing the illegal obstructions on the route at Mahisbathan. And also organising the under-17 FIFA World Cup (were my achievements). The party will decide on policy.
Finally, do you regret quitting the party in the first place?
Chand dekhte dur theke sobar bhalo lage. Chander bhetore onek khana khondo. Dilli ka laddu jo khaya woh pachtaya, jo nahin khaya woh bhi pachtaya. (laughs) Whatever has happened, has happened.