A big flop show

It has become a fashion among our politicians that before every Lok Sabha election all chief ministers of opposition parties in different states start taking initiatives to form a front of like-minded political parties to stake claim for the post of Prime Minister if ever hung Lok Sabha would be thrown up. Undoubtedly, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamul Congress boss Mamata Bannerji moved in this way and started advocating of forming a Federal Front to realize her prime ministerial ambition after the Lok Sabha elections. To take her prime ministerial ambition to the logical end, she got the support of noted social activist Anna Hazare all of a sudden. Anna Hazare, social activist and anti-corruption crusader, who stirred the people of the nation and forced the Manmohan Singh government to pass Lokpal Bill to combat corruption, wrote letters to 17 political parties inscribing in it some valuable points to check corruption but no one except Mamata Bannerji responded to his letter and that is why he offered his support to her Trinamul Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. This is the first time Anna had offered his support to any political party of the country. It is on the issue of forming political party the differences between his former lieutenant, most obedient disciple and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that the separation between the two took place. Anna and Kejriwal chose their own ways. Arvind Kejriwal ultimately formed a political outfit Aam Admi Party (AAP), which won Delhi assembly elections and formed government, though it lasted only 49 days. Anna was the most popular personality in India as long as he fought against corruption by being apolitical. His apolitical status appealed the youths most and because of this he became the most popular anti-corruption crusader of the nation. But once he sided with a political party - Mamata's Trinamul Congress, he no longer remained apolitical and lost some support. His coming on TV channels in an advertisement appealing the countrymen to support Mamata Bannerjee also did not go well with the general public. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerji failed to understand that Anna was icon among the youths and general people as long as he remained apolitical. People extended him massive support to fight against corruption, and not for favouring this or that political party. No chief minister belonging to state-based political party can pull the crowd in national capital New Delhi at a meeting without proper canvassing and propaganda. Anna Hazare seems to have gauzed the people’s response to Mamata’s rally in advance and expressed his inability to participate in the meeting on health ground. He may have fallen ill suddenly as he is old and feeble, but his absence at the meeting embarrassed Mamata Bannerji most. It was necessary also for Mamata to address the empty chairs to realize the fact that she is not as much popular as in her home state West Bengal. It also reflects that she needs to remain in Bengal for years before aspiring for the post of prime minister.