Mamata Banerjee Banks on Dharna Politics Again: To Protest in Kolkata from Feb 2 Over MNREGA Dues

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, known for her dharna politics, plans to sit on a protest again, in Kolkata from February 2. This time over the state’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) dues.

“We are not getting money. I have met PM Narendra Modi and told him that our money is pending, still they are not releasing the money. If they don’t release the state’s money by February 1, I will sit on dharna,” said Banerjee.

Sources said Banerjee plans to run her office from the dharna site under Dr B R Ambedkar’s statue from February 2.

In 2023, Banerjee sat on a dharna for two days over the same demand. In 2019, Banerjee sat on a protest when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) visited then police commissioner Rajiv Kumar’s residence. Banerjee’s hunger strike over Singur for more than 25 days in 2006 will always be remembered in the state’s political history.

TMC insiders say that around Rs 7,000 crore is due from the Centre. TMC sources said in the Lok Sabha poll campaign, the party will highlight the deprivation of funds for the state. During last year’s Panchayat election campaign, too, the TMC had highlighted the issue.

Abhishek Banerjee, National General Secretary of TMC, said, “We are not making this an issue. It is a fact. We went to Delhi, but the minister concerned did not meet us. We came to Kolkata and sat on a dharna in front of the Raj Bhavan. The governor gave us an assurance that he would take up the issue, but nothing happened. Banerjee then told me to withdraw the dharna as courtesy to the governor. When she realised that nothing happened on that front, she reached out to the PM. She even met him in Delhi. I was part of that team. There has been no progress on that front so far, which is why she has decided to sit on a dharna.”

Last month, when Sadhvi Niranjan, Minister of State Rural, came to Kolkata, she said officers have been deputed to look into the issue.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari said: “If Banerjee starts a dharna, she should get ready to see a counter dharna. They have indulged in malpractices, which is why the money has not been cleared. This is just an election drama.”

Banerjee has always has won the match from the streets and experts say, this time too, she is trying to fight the Lok Sabha polls using her old style of showing citizens that she is one of them.