Kolkata: The equation between Raj Bhavan and the West Bengal government has turned over a new leaf. Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who took charge in November, has been all praises for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and shares cordial ties with her — a big departure from the relationship the CM shared with his predecessor and now Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Unlike in other non-BJP ruled states, where the state government is at loggerheads with its respective governors — such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Telangana — West Bengal seems to have closed that acrimonious chapter.
The governor was heard praising Mamata Banerjee after the latter received her second doctorate of literature (DLitt) from St Xavier’s University in Kolkata. “This is not for her political acumen. For that she has received similar awards from the people’s university. This is a recognition for her pursuit of excellence in literature, in painting, in poetry,” Governor Bose had said.
“We remember Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the spalding professor of Oxford who was a thinker and a writer. We also have A.P.J. Abdul Kalam who gave Wings of Fire (autobiography) to the young generation and ignited their minds through his writings. We have the poet Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in whose team Mamata was a distinguished member. These were all statesmen and politicians who were writers. We, the people of Bengal, are glad that in this distinguished league we have none other than CM Mamata Banerjee. Kudos to her for this deserved recognition,” Bose added.
These statements by the Governor came just two weeks after the BJP had warned him against Mamata Banerjee. On 26 January, when the governor formally started learning Bengali through the “hatey khori” (chalk in hand) event held at Raj Bhavan in the presence of Mamata Banerjee, Suvendu Adhikari, leader of Opposition, had tweeted his reasons to not attend the event. “…The state government latched on this chance to execute the hidden political agenda of the Chief Minister by artfully using the office of the honourable governor,” Adhikari wrote.
He claimed that at a time when Mamata Banerjee is facing heat from the central agencies in an alleged school recruitment scam, the governor should not have begun his Bengali education journey in her presence.
After Bose ignored Suvendu’s words and praised Mamata on being awarded the DLitt, Suvendu tweeted: “The Governor’s speech on the occasion sounded as if he was rehearsing for the customary speech which he will read out at the beginning of the upcoming Budget Session of WB Legislative Assembly.”
Political analyst Udayan Bandopadhyay told ThePrint, “Governor is the executive head. The role he is playing is justified. He is praising the chief minister and this is nothing unusual. In fact, what was unusual was Jagdeep Dhankhar’s role in West Bengal during his tenure.”
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‘Bose has struck a balance and stayed neutral’
During his tenure, Dhankhar took his role as governor beyond expected lines, leading to the two highest offices in the state always being at odds. In 2021, he had visited alleged victims of post-poll violence in Nandigram following a poll-battle between TMC and BJP. He put out letters addressed to the CM on social media and constantly questioned the state on law and order issues. He was also accused of holding several Bills which were passed in the Assembly.
Speaking to ThePrint, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Vice-President Jay Prakash Majumdar, who was earlier with the BJP, spoke of how Dhankhar’s office doubled up as a “party office” for the BJP during his tenure.
“There is a perceptible change between the Raj Bhavan and TMC govt. The previous Governor saw the worst tie since Independence between an elected government and an appointed governor. Dhankhar was sent as Governor prior to the 2021 elections and he had his task cut out. He heard his master’s voice and overdid it. BJP used Raj Bhavan like a party office. But C.V. Ananda Bose comes from a different background and thus he has struck a balance and stayed neutral. It’s a serious miscalculation by the BJP,” he said.
Former Meghalaya Governor and BJP leader Tathagata Roy feels Bose’s comments on Mamata are “not justified” and that comparing the CM to Kalam was a bit of a stretch.
“I don’t agree with him comparing APJ Abdul Kalam and Mamata Banerjee. It is always desirable that the Governor and the elected government remain on good terms. Speaking well (of the CM) is a good idea and, in fact, it is warranted. But something this Governor has said particularly I can’t agree with. Otherwise, so far, there hasn’t been any kind of development that could create bad blood. Still, it’s early days of his tenure. It has been only about three months since he has taken office.”
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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