Then there is Basu’s stature, often used to quell infighting between the nine members of the Left Front alliance, more frequent of late over many of Bhattacharjee’s economic policies. For example, Nandigram and Singur led to talk of a mini-Left Front within the Front, with partners routinely critical of the Chief Minister in public. It was Basu who stepped in, individually calling up leaders of each ally and stressing the need to show a united front. Within days, the sniping had ended, at least in public.
As Basu himself often says, “A communist never retires.” Given West Bengal’s politics, he couldn’t be more accurate.
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