Change in West Bengal!

So there’s change in West Bengal. Everyone, rejoice. It’s been a long time coming.

Personally, though, I have mixed feelings.

The CPI(M) has lost its position, which I think is a positive outcome. That’s one group of people who’ve messed up big time in West Bengal over many years. (Really, they should write a ‘What not to do’ manual of politics.)

But now, two questions remain. One, these are the National Elections, which means CPI(M) is still in power in WB. The State elections are two years away, where the CPI(M) must also be beaten handsomely for any real change to come in.

Two, and this is more important: If the CPI(M) do lose two years from now, who’s going to take over, and NOT make a mess of it? There are of course candidate(s) – even though I’m not sure the plural is really applicable – but is there really anyone who is capable of leading a government?

I’d like to think being CM needs a cool head, calmness in speech, and foresight. Those qualities are somehow hard to find in West Bengal, it seems. (A case in point: even though the Tata Nano project had its absurdities on the part of the government, what did anyone gain from driving Tata out of West Bengal? Shouldn’t that situation have been more maturely handled? [This is what I wrote, a few days before the Tatas decided to leave.])

Will the next REAL candidate step up please?