Even as Bhattacharjee remained silent, Basu went public asking why many of the victims had bullet injuries in their backs. His comment severely undermined the government’s stand.

But CPM central committee member Nirupam Sen, who is also the Commerce & Industries Minister, springs to Basu’s defence. “He is our guardian. We take his advice in any crisis. Even when he comments on government matters, we don’t face any problem in running the government,” Sen says.

According to another CPM leader, Bhattacharjee would rather prefer Basu to handle “political matters” that do not have a direct bearing on the state government — for example, UPA-Left relations at the Centre. Says a senior party leader: “As a Chief Minister, he needs a different relationship with the Centre, why should he get dragged into mediating between the UPA and Left at the Centre?”

So last Sunday, it was Basu’s house where External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee went to hold talks on the nuclear deal and avert the crisis in the government. After that meeting, attended by other comrades in Kolkata, Basu called up Prakash Karat asking him to talk to Mukherjee. Karat complied.

Basu insists on attending party programmes and he sat through the proceedings at the recently held politburo and the Central committee. In fact, the CPM Politburo met in Kolkata last month to spare Basu the physical inconvenience of a trip to Delhi. At that meeting, too, Basu asserted his presence. As hardliners, led by Karat, sharpened their knives, the reality check came from Basu who asked: “Who will take the blame for pulling down the UPA government and going to elections?” Sources said this toned down the rhetoric at the meeting.

... contd.