Ekla Chalo Re: Mamata left stranded by Anna-ji

Anna Hazare embraced Mamata Banerjee as his leader of choice because she was the only one who answered the letter he sent to all the political parties. Now Didi was left stranded high and dry at Anna’s own rally at Ram Lila Maidan. Moral of the story: Never trust a pen friend. Apparently the problem was the Anna-Mamata combo isn’t exactly a crowd puller. And Ram Lila Maidan isn’t Mamata’s home turf of Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground where she pulled in lakhs of supporters.   [caption id=“attachment_1432453” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mamata was left high and dry: AFP[/caption] The Telegraph reports that Anna “was all dressed up to leave for the ground from Maharashtra Sadan but backed out after reports of ‘a very poor crowd’.” There were about 2000 people there in a ground that has can accommodate 1 lakh. “How could Anna face an empty Ramlila where thousands had gathered for days together when he had fasted for the Jan Lokpal bill?” a Team Anna member told The Telegraph. Clearly Anna wanted to use Mamata to teach Arvind Kejriwal a lesson. But it’s not quite working out that way. Mamata is the undisputed Supreme Leader in Bengal. But having spent her tenure in Delhi as Railways minister acquiring a reputation for stuffing her home state with trains, Didi is still struggling to get a national platform. And fielding very very golden oldie, sixties actor Biswajit from South Delhi might cause a heart flutter among the retired old ladies of Chittaranjan Park but it isn’t going to help her get out of that Bong Connection trap. Though Mamata told the crowd at Ram Lila that it was Anna-ji’s rally and she had just come to support it, it was undoubtedly a loss of face for the woman who prides herself in out-rallying anybody in Kolkata. Anna didn’t show so he was spared the embarrassment. Mamata had to play hostess and face the music. Luckily one of the advantages of having stuffed her electoral list with actors, singers and other cultural types, when push comes to shove Didi can still put up a show. So the singers and actors in her entourage were pressed into service. Even poor Biswajit was forced to sing Pukarta Chala Hoon Main from his 1965 hit Mere Sanam presumably to remind audiences who he was. But even songs can signal troubles to come. As the media pointed out when the singer and Trinamool candidate Indranil Sen sang the ever popular Rabindransangeet Ekla Chalo Re (Walk alone) he didn’t realize how prophetic he was being. Mamata did have to walk on stage alone. Anna could stay put at Maharashtra Sadan citing sudden poor health. Sometimes old age has its perks. Didi wished Anna-ji “good health and long life” as she left the venue. The question is whether the same can be said of their alliance.