Presumably it is the CPI(M)’s last resort to arrest the continuously waning popularity. For the crucial 2011 assembly elections in the state, the party has decided to field popular sports personalities to counter the propaganda of the intellectual and silver screen brigade of the Trinamool Congress (TC).
Kolkata’s iconic ‘dada’, the former skipper of Indian cricket team, Saurav Ganguly, is already playing an important role in the party’s campaign. Besides using Ganguly’s image in winning back the public in general, CPI(M) is setting “Dada’s example of struggle in his cricket career” to cheer up the party cadres, which are demoralised with the series of election debacles.
According to top CPI(M) sources, in the next stage more sports personalities from the state will be fielded for campaigning. The prominent names that have come up are football hero Baichung Bhutia, chess grandmasters Dibyendu Barua and English Channel swimmer Masidur Rahman, among others.
Bengal municipal affairs and urban development minister Ashoke Bhattacharya has already been projecting Ganguly as the chief guest in a number of public programmes. Bhattacharya and Ganguly are seen jointly in different programmes such as distribution of books to deprived children and inauguration of flyovers, among others.
Ganguly, who addresses Bhattacharya as kaku (uncle), is all praise for Bhattacharya and his achievements in his speeches.
According to Bhattacharya, Ganguly is an internationally acclaimed iconic figure and hence his presence always adds an extra attraction in public functions. He is also giving Ganguly’s example to CPI(M) workers to boost their morales.
“Despite being thrown out of the Indian team in an unjustified manner, Ganguly has never lost heart. He came back and proved his worth. Similarly, there is nothing to get disheartened for our comrades with a couple of election debacles. Like Ganguly, they will all have to turn things around,” Bhattacharya said.
Trinamool leaders, however, say the “Ganguly gimmick” will not have any impact on the public. “Public are no fools. The Left Front government has not given them anything for the last 34 years and so people will not be misled by such gimmicks,” a senior Trinamool leader said.
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