It took more than mere loyalty to the party for Subhas Chakraborty to become one of the most popular mass leaders the CPM ever had in West Bengal. More importantly, he was one of those rare dissenting voices within a highly regimented outfit, who still could always get away with the party’s hack by virtue of a strong mass base and the art of realpolitik.

He died at the AMRI Hospital at 11.35 am after a brief illness on Monday. Chakraborty (68) is survived by his wife and a son. Suffering from cancer and other complications, he was admitted to the hospital last week. His death comes at a time when the party is passing through its worst crisis in Bengal.

Those often intrigued by Chakraborty’s survival feats within the CPM should know that all through his political career, spanning nearly half a century, Jyoti Basu had been his greatest mentor. Within the party, Chakraborty derived his strength from Basu and was fondly patronised by him. Outside it, his strength emanated from his ability to touch the pulse of the people.

His mass base and popularity also acted as a deterrent for the party apparatchik to act against him who more often than not would be scathing in his attacks on the party’s outdated thinking.

One of his last such sparks came not too long ago — just before the Lok Sabha polls — when he told a regional news channel that the time had come when the party should seriously consider to have leaders at the helm who should be facing general elections. To be precise he was aiming at the party Politburo members many of whom have not faced the electoral test.

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