Tempest in the Tea Cup ::: Rise of Mamata ... and 2026 may mark her end ..... Kejriwal's height of politics of ANARCHY

I OFTEN compliment Kerala for not discovering their version of Mamata Banerjee.

The 'Didi' or aapa and also Pishi to Bhaipo Abhishek;  Mamata Banerjee has contemporaries in Kerala politics like soft-spoken K V Thomas. Both came to Lok Sabha for the first time in 1984 – 8th Lok Sabha.

Prof Thomas, a committed Congress politician, often shared jokes with us on the intellectual demise of Marxism. But he would also say rightly, this does not entail the end of communism. 

Sadly even if it does – West Bengal had produced its illustrious Didi – who will ensure that ‘the communist directive for political action’ as was enunciated by famous Jyoti Basu will continue to orient the political passion of the masses. 

Bangla role models : Mamata and Jyoti Basu 

Between communists and TMC; West Bengal lived through 49 years - first 34 for the Left.

In 2011, Mamata Banerjee ousted the Leftists ending their 34-year-old monopoly on Bengal politics but with often harmful and yet contagious and menacing influence on Bengali mind. So much was Bengal pushed to an ideological bankruptcy that it did not mind embracing someone called Mamata Banerjee – a product of Congress backyards – as the alternative and perhaps their savior. 

Nothing changed on ground. Nothing could have changed. It has turned worse, according to many. 

I know of Trinamool Congress law-makers, who by 2015-16 would say privately, “I will win no doubt…that’s my good luck. But that is also the ill-luck of Bengal”. 

“…..eitai Bangla-r dur bhagya,” he had said precisely and perhaps did not lament – I suppose.

Therefore the moral of the story is 'triumph' over Communism in 2011 though was Mamata’s ‘Her-story’, it did not mean a paradigm shift of Bengal politics and administration. Like all greatness about Bengalis, Bengal and Maxism under that illustrious Bhadralok Jyoti Basu – who easily threw up adjectives like ‘barbarous’ on BJP – the Trinamool dispensation under Didi also bequeathed a series of conflicts for the people. 

Under her, women were advised not to go outdoors in night. Under her, Moharram was more sacred than Durga puja. Her MPs made unacceptable comments on Shiv-ling.

But for votes; there was Jagannath Dham. The indifference to ‘religious doctrines’ during the Left regime especially on oriental and Hindu values evaporated the faith and fear of value system.

This opened room for goondaism in gully politics, Puja pandals and in rural Bengal. 

It also heralded appeasement of a community calling themselves ‘minority’ and yet their struggle towards a better life never found emancipation in the administrative rule book of Jyotism and later under Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Under Mamata, Muslims were just tools to garner votes.

Moreover; there was innate parochialism. Frogs in the pond.

This meant only Bengalis could criticise Bengal. L K Advani as India’s Home Minister could not make any comment on Kolkata traffic.

Khushwant Singh also was gheraoed – after he made some remarks on Rabindranath Tagore’s skills on writing fictions.

In other words, Bengal and Bengalis developed problems for themselves. Came in BJP - the rise of right wing pro-Hindutva politics has taken many in surprise. Now what happens to the people and their state after May 4-5 when votes will be counted is anyone's guess.  

Arvind Kejriwal's anarchy

The Left and the Ultra Left have had a good student in Arvind Kejriwal. He came up the ladder of anti-corruption crusade wherein Anna Hazara's image and agitation in 2011 was used, exploited, dusted and then forgotten. Like the Leftist leaders who would use Shantiniketan bags or Mamata her bathroom sipper; Kejriwal had his muffler and trademark 'half shirt'. 

The reality is Sheesh Mahal. 

On April 27, 2026 - Kejriwal is using another anarchist model but giving it a facade of Gandhian Satyagraha. He says he will not appear before the Delhi High Court judge Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. The legal system, the legal fraternity and Indian sickularism should not entertain this kind of 'protest'. 

The AAP leadership has lost face after the split in its Rajya Sabha wing. The judge declined to bow out of the hearings. Hence, this drama from a man -- who took pride in saying "mein anarchist hoon'.  

Now, he says -- "My hope of getting justice from Justice Swarana Kanta is shattered. Therefore, I have decided to follow Gandhiji's Satyagraha. I have made a decision based on the voice of my conscience. I will reserve the right to appeal Justice Swarn Kanta's decision in the Supreme Court."  

On April 20, the Delhi High Court dismissed Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others' plea seeking recusal of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma in the excise policy case. 

If Kejriwal's tantrum is entertained, tomorrow every terrorist and Naxal arrested will want a judge of their choice. This ought to be stopped and discouraged forthwith. 

He should face the law. 

BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva has countered former chief minister. He says, 

"Arvind Kejriwal is invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s name, and I want to ask him, did Gandhi ever advocate promoting liquor, acting as a middleman in the liquor trade, or earning commissions through liquor shops? 

Why is he taking Gandhi’s name? The values Gandhi upheld are opposite to what Arvind Kejriwal is doing...".  

The influence of ultra-left anarchy is always far more dangerous than on the face value.

It is characterized by a violent rejection of all hierarchical structures, authority, and the state, aiming to immediately dismantle capitalism and social hierarchies. 

The Left-wing anarchism has historically been linked to political violence, bombings, and assassination attempts. 

ends 

"BJP under Mr Modi is unlike any other party in India — past or present," says P Chidambaram ::::: "BJP is like the Communist Party of China"

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram says that 

"The BJP under Mr Narendra Modi is unlike any other party in India — past or present. Its goal is not to win elections as often as possible; its goal is to win elections and remain in power forever".  

In that sense, he argues, the Lotus party is is like the Communist Party of China. 

In his weekly column to 'Indian Express', under the title - "A decisive moment in history", the veteran leader says:

"The lesson of the 2024 LS elections is that despite many parties forming the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, they could not defeat the BJP. With give and take, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc has the potential to expand itself. If the parties do not learn the lessons, many small parties will fall by the wayside and may disappear".

Chidambaram, who was jailed for a while in 2019 by the Modi government, said--

"Mr Narendra Modi, prime minister and de facto leader of the BJP, is an ideologue who accepts the RSS’ view of India but, at the same time, is totally practical to realize that the RSS’ goal can be achieved not through electoral victory alone but through carefully crafted steps."

The Communist Party of China (CPC)’s road to power was through a brutal war against the Japanese invaders and, after Japan’s surrender in 1945, through a bitter civil war  against the Kuomintang (KMT) in 1949.  

The CPC has remained in power since.

He also writes:

"Mao Zedong proclaimed a one-party state in China...

India’s Constitution adopted in 1950 allows multiple political parties and mandates periodic elections and a peaceful transfer of power at the Union-level and the State-level. This is the crucial difference between China and India."

He maintains -

"At the inception, the Jan Sangh, and later the Bharatiya Jan Singh and, in its present form, the BJP, believed in the Constitution of India. 

It was nurtured as a democratic party and positioned on the right of the political spectrum. It strove to distinguish itself from the Indian National Congress that occupied the space on the left-of-centre. 

The BJP remained a democratic party through the years under the leadership of Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, A.B. Vajpayee and Mr L. K. Advani.  

However, the BJP’s political guru, the RSS, had — and has — a different view of the polity and political architecture of India: RSS believes that India must be a country with one-language, one-culture, one political party and, to the extent feasible, one religion."

On this backdrop, Chidambaram argues --- "Mr Narendra Modi, prime minister and de facto leader of the BJP, is an ideologue who accepts the RSS’ view of India but, at the same time, is totally practical to realize that the RSS’ goal can be achieved not through electoral victory alone but through carefully crafted steps".  

"The Constitutional, legislative and administrative steps taken by the Modi government since 2014 must be viewed through this prism. 

Mr Modi’s strident advocacy of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the Uniform Civil Code, the passage of the J & K Reorganization Act, the creative interpretation of Article 73, Article 162 and the provisions of Parts XI, XII and XIV of the Constitution, and the determined effort to implement One Nation One Election (ONOE) are all steps calculated to usher in the so-called Viksit Bharat, he notes. 

on Modi's tenure, Chidambaram says:

"Mr Modi was ascendant from 2014 to 2024.  He confidently expected the people of India to give his party 400+ seats in the Lok Sabha in the 2024 election, but he suffered a major setback — the people gave him only 240 seats, short of even a simple majority of 543 seats.  

All his efforts since 2024 are intended to recover lost ground before 2029.  

Suppose the BJP had succeeded in passing the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026. In the guise of reservation of seats for women, the Bill would have pushed through delimitation and gerrymandering." 

The new laws and their implementation would have rendered the southern states irrelevant in the governance of the country, he says.

Chidambaram also maintains: 

"The lesson of 2024 LS elections is that despite many parties forming the I.N.D.I.A. bloc,  they could not defeat the BJP which emerged as the single largest party with 240 seats.  

With give and take, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc has the potential to expand itself and pose a serious challenge to the BJP.   

Eventually, two grand Alliances in a LS election will prevent the monopolization of power by the BJP at the Centre, create the space for an alternative political choice, and sustain the secular, democratic and Republican Constitution of India."

Tavleen Singh writes: Notes from a hellhole (also in 'Indian Express') 

"India may not be a hellhole but for the longest time we have not paid attention to why so many of our countrymen flee to foreign shores. 

Our problems have accumulated over many decades and cannot be blamed on a single political leader or party."

Under Trump, it has stopped being that ‘shining city on a hill’ but I know from Punjabi farmers who work on construction sites in New York that they make more money than they did from farming, she notes.

Tavleen goes further :

"When the leader of the free world calls your country a ‘hellhole’, it gets you thinking. I admit that I spent a longish while brooding over the insult before sitting down to write this piece. 

There were so many Indians venting their rage on social media that I thought at first that it was Donald Trump himself who used the ‘hellhole’ word for our ancient land. 

It came as a relief to see that the ugly diatribe against India and Indians had been authored by someone else.

"Having said this, it also needs saying that if Trump had not posted it on social media, nobody would have paid attention to the harangues of a racist, two-bit radio host. 

Modi : Boat Ride in Kolkata 

Why Trump posted it remains a mystery. 

"What is clear is that his ill-starred war against Iran and his failure to find an exit strategy is taking its toll. 

He has done as much damage to his own country as he is doing to the world but there are enough columnists, movie stars and world leaders saying this already."

"So, let’s get back to the ‘hellhole’ jibe," runs the column.

"It cheered me up a little that India and China were put in the same basket because having travelled to China more than once, I can report that it is no hellhole.  

It cheered me up also that the author of the diatribe seemed motivated by real anger that the doors of Silicon Valley were closed to white people like him. 

And open wide for people from India and China. So, the rantings of this white supremacist happened because he could not believe that brown and yellow people from ‘hellhole’ lands should be doing better in the United States than white people."

She goes on:

"Now let us discuss if there is any justification for India to be called a hellhole. 

"We Indians do not like foreigners to say bad things about us but in our private moments we admit, albeit in whispers, that there must be something wrong if millions of our countrymen are ready to flee our shores to get to countries that offer better jobs and a better life. 

"When Narendra Modi first became prime minister, he made a speech to a gathering of overseas Indians in Paris in which he said he wanted to build a country that nobody would wish to leave. 

Has he succeeded in this? Clearly not. So why not?" -- wonders Tavleen Singh.

"Some things have improved. There are better highways, better airports, better rail services, better rural amenities by way of welfare schemes that supply subsidised gas, food, electricity and water. And certainly, rural sanitation has improved dramatically but it is not these things that our countrymen go in search of in foreign lands. 

Some squander their savings on people smugglers to enter the United States as ‘ghuspetiyas’. Illegal immigrants. 

Link

"Among those who choose the ‘dunki’ route there are not just poor people but middle-class Indians willing to pay huge sums to get to the United States."

"It should worry us that it is from two of our more prosperous states — Punjab and Gujarat — that there are the most immigrants, both legal and illegal. 

What is it that the United States offers them that India does not?"

Courtesy - Indian Express) 

ends 

Abhishek's turf Diamond Harbour under scanner by EC :::: ‘Partisan’ Cops Under Lens

 By NIRENDRA DEV

— The Election Commission has intensified its crackdown in West Bengal’s politically sensitive Diamond Harbour, widely seen as the stronghold of Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, by ordering strict action against police officers accused of partisan conduct.

EC Scans Diamond Harbour Model: ‘Partisan’ Cops Under Lens

In an unprecedented move during the ongoing Assembly elections, the poll panel directed Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala to submit a detailed report on the activities of Additional SP Sandip Garai to his cadre-controlling authority, the Union Home Ministry. This marks the first such directive in the current election cycle, signalling heightened scrutiny.

Simultaneously, the Commission ordered the suspension of five officers, including Garai, SDPO Sajal Mondal, and key police station heads from Falta, Diamond Harbour, and Usthi. Departmental proceedings have also been initiated against them for allegedly acting in favour of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

                                      

Joy of Voting!  (Senior couple of Bankura in front of the district mascot proudly displaying their inked fingers )  

The EC also issued a warning to Diamond Harbour SP Ishani Pal for failing to ensure neutrality among her subordinates.

‘Diamond Harbour Model’ Faces Test

Diamond Harbour, located on Kolkata’s southern fringes, has long been projected as a governance showcase by Abhishek Banerjee, encompassing infrastructure, welfare delivery, and political management—often dubbed the “Diamond Harbour model.”  

However, the Commission’s sweeping action suggests it views the seven Assembly segments under this Lok Sabha constituency—Falta, Diamond Harbour, Satgachia, Bishnupur, Mahestala, Budge Budge, and Metiabruz—as highly vulnerable to electoral malpractices.

A senior EC official remarked that urgent intervention was required to ensure free and fair polling in the region, underscoring the seriousness of the allegations.  

In a parallel development, the EC also ordered the suspension of the officer-in-charge of Hingalganj police station in North 24 Parganas after examining reports of alleged bias and links with “local elements.”

Bhabanipur Turns  Political Flashpoint

Even as the EC tightened oversight, political tensions escalated in Bhabanipur, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari held rallies within close proximity, triggering clashes between supporters.Politics

Banerjee cut short her address, citing disruptions and slogans from a nearby BJP gathering. “It is insulting and humiliating… I will not be able to address you now,” she said before leaving the stage, promising to return the next day.

The BJP, led by figures like Amit Shah and party IT cell head Amit Malviya, accused Banerjee of losing composure amid signs of electoral decline. 

Timeless Democracy : 1971 cartoon tells a story 'retold' 

TMC leaders, however, termed the incident a deliberate attempt to disrupt their campaign and evoke intimidation.  Electoral Stakes Rise

Bhabanipur, a key Kolkata seat, is witnessing a high-stakes contest between Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari. 

The contest has gained further intensity after the deletion of nearly 51,000 voters—around 21% of the electorate—following the EC’s Special Intensive Revision.

Meanwhile, internal dissent within the TMC appears to be surfacing. Party MLA Bayron Biswas publicly expressed fears of defeat in multiple constituencies, citing concerns over strongroom arrangements and alleged irregularities.

The Election Commission’s assertive stance in Diamond Harbour and beyond indicates a zero-tolerance approach toward perceived bias, setting the stage for a fiercely contested and closely monitored electoral battle in West Bengal.

courtesy - The Raisina Hills 

ends 

EC orders crackdown in Bengal after 79 bombs recovered ahead of Phase 2 voting :::: Seizure included 79 crude bomb-like objects and 3.37 kg of gunpowder

EC orders crackdown in Bengal after 79 bombs recovered ahead of Phase 2 voting
The seizure, which included 79 crude bomb-like objects and approximately 3.37 kg of gunpowder, among other things, was made at an abandoned house in the district. 

A total of 2.4 lakh CAPFs personnel are currently deployed in the state, with about 500 companies or 50,000 personnel expected to remain in place even after polling. 

1971 cartoon : Some stories are retold and relived 

An EC official said all cases involving bombs would be investigated by the NIA.

Earlier in the day, the West Bengal Police recovered bombs and explosive material from Majherhat, in Uttar Kashipur police station area. 

The Election Commission on Sunday instructed West Bengal Police to carry out a special drive to arrest bomb makers, after the recovery of bombs and bomb-making material from an abandoned house in South 24 Parganas earlier in the day.

The EC’s directive comes three days before polling in the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections on April 29.

“During the operation, a significant cache of suspected explosive materials was recovered from an abandoned house near a burial ground. The seizure includes 79 crude bomb-like objects, approximately 3.37 kg of gunpowder, 1.61 kg of sulphur, jute ropes, and 10 packets of roll caps, with the assistance of the Bomb Disposal Squad. 

All materials have been seized as per prescribed procedure. Further investigation is underway,” the West Bengal Police said. 

An EC official said the special drive has started in this regard, adding that all cases involving bombs would be investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). 

The Commissioner of Police of Kolkata, Deputy Commissioners of Police, Superintendents of Police and other officers had been informed that if any explosives are found in their jurisdiction, the officer concerned would face action, the official said. 

All such materials should be seized in the next 24 hours, the EC official said.

Ahead of the two-phased elections, on April 23 and April 29, the EC had emphasised in meetings with security forces that the polling should be violence-free. 

The EC has deployed an unprecedented number of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel this time. 

ends 

Everyday Trump made 21 statements of Falsehood and 'misleading' remarks as President in the four years of 2016 and 2020

What happens when you get a 'wrong' President ?

It is argued that in the four years of his first term between 2016 and 2020; Donald Trump spoke lies -- more than 21 a day. 

The joke may go -- he can easily get into a good competition with typical 'delhi-wallahs' - the Jugadus or the members of mutual admiration club(s) in the national capita; "Ho jaega jee' !!  

"Trump lies the way other people breathe," Jonathan Freedland in a piece for 'The Guardian' (London).

He says: "The Washington Post calculated that he made 30,573 false and misleading statements in the four years of his first term: that’s more than 21 a day. 

The habit has never left him. Witness, to pick one example almost at random, his claims that a war that has strengthened the hand of Iran’s most implacable hardliners has, contrary to all evidence, achieved his goal of regime change.

The writer also cited "Trump’s cruelty" --- 

It takes its most serious form in bloodlust, threatening via social media that “a civilisation will die tonight” or using Easter Sunday as the moment to tell Tehran: “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell.” 

But the cruelty is also personal and direct. When the actor and director Rob Reiner was killed in horrific circumstances with his wife late last year, Trump posted a string of insults to the dead man. 

Freedland also says: "Name the deadliest of sins – cruelty, deceit, avarice – and Trump will both exhibit them and celebrate them".  The article also talks about in details on the Pope-Trump tussle and that comes at the much embarrassment of the Christian world. 

"It’s no accident that the figure emerging as the global challenger to the might of Donald Trump is a priest in white, known as Pope Leo XIV," the article runs.

"In recent weeks, the pope has issued a string of barely coded denunciations of the US president, unfazed by the insults that have come his way in return. It’s no longer fanciful to imagine that what an eastern European pontiff, John Paul II, did by confronting the Soviet empire in the 1980s, an American-born pope may do in the 2020s by daring to speak truth to the would-be emperor in the White House." 

 

Namo redfines Mamata's match-winning slogan of 2011 ::: "TMC made Maa cry, gave Mati to infiltrators, forced Manush to flee"

TMC made maa cry, gave mati to infiltrators, forced manush to flee: PM in Bengal

At an election rally in North 24 Parganas, PM Modi accused the TMC of abandoning its founding slogan and failing Bengal. 

He said the first-phase turnout had dented the ruling party's confidence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday mounted an aggressive attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing the Mamata Banerjee-led party of betraying its founding slogan of "Maa, Mati, Manush" [mother, motherland and people] and presiding over what he described as a collapse of governance in West Bengal.

Addressing an election rally in North 24 Parganas, PM Modi said the Trinamool Congress had risen to power 15 years ago invoking mother, motherland and people, but could no longer even utter the phrase. 

The second phase of polling to 142 assembly segments will take place on April 29.  

This is Trinamool's forte as last time the BJP managed just 18 seats from these 142 constitituencies. 

The campaign for the much acrimonious and bitterly-fought polls in West Bengal will come to an end on Monday, April 27.   

"This election in Bengal is in its final phase, but you must have noticed one thing. 15 years ago, the TMC came to power by talking about 'Maa, Mati, Manush'. Now they can't even utter those words. 

I'll tell you the reason behind this. If these people utter those words, their sins will be exposed. The cruelty of TMC made 'maa' cry, handed over 'maati' to syndicates and infiltrators, and forced the 'manush' of Bengal to flee," PM Modi said in one of the most blistering attacks against TMC leadership. 

The Prime Minister also claimed that the outcome of the first phase of polling had dealt a blow to the ruling party's confidence. 

Voting for 152 constituencies on April 23 recorded a massive turnout of 93 per cent. Huge turnout is generally interpreted as a setback to the ruling TMC regime.

"Bengal has done wonders in the first phase of voting. The Trinamool Congress's arrogance has been shattered in the first phase. Now, in the second phase, the BJP government's overwhelming victory is becoming certain," Modi said.

Targeting the state government on employment and youth issues, PM Modi alleged that the TMC had pushed Bengal's young population towards addiction instead of opportunity.

"The youth of Bengal are very talented. The TMC government has driven the youth into addiction. Our Bengal is the king of creativity. 

The BJP will give strength to the creativity of the youth of Bengal. 

These days, the music videos of the children of Bengal are receiving a lot of praise on social media. I have also seen some reels. 

It is obvious: those who are irritated by the 'Jhal Muri' do not like the creativity of the youth. But the BJP will make economy and content creation the strength of Bengal," the Prime Minister said.

"Tran ,,, Pori-tran" - Temporary relief and Deliverance ::: "Dont pay five rupees to a beggar, ensure he does not need to beg" .... ::: "What is important is not only that I am not a thief .... you perceive me not to be a thief" -- new Niti Aayog vice chairman's smart dig at Mamata

In a first major revamp of the NITI Aayog since its inception in 2015, the Centre has appointed economist Ashok Lahiri as its new vice-chairman and replaced four of its five full-time members. 

Lahiri will replace Suman Bery, who had been serving on the post since April 2022. 

(I met with Shri Ashok Kumar Lahiri ji and congratulated him on his appointment as Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. His rich experience in economics and public policy will further strengthen the path of reforms in India and the journey towards becoming a 'Viksit Bharat'. -- PM Narendra Modi tweeted with a snap) 

A member of the 15th Finance Commission, Lahiri has held roles with global financial institutions. He was BJP legislator representing Balurghat in West Bengal elected to the assembly in 2021.

Of course, he was not fielded for elections this year but remains one of the BJP’s more recognisable Bengali leaders. An alumnus of the Delhi School of Economics and Presidency University, Lahiri has also worked with the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the IMF. 

In an interview he took a dig at Mamata Banerjee and TMC leadership on the issue of corruption and says: 

"What is important is not only that I am not a thief .... you perceive me not to be a thief". 

After Pranab Mukherjee, Lahiri becomes first Bengali to hold such key positions in a policy making body of the central government.  

On February 24 this year, Nidhi Chhibber, Director General of the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office, which functions from within the Aayog, was given additional charge of Chief Executive Officer of the think tank following the completion of BVR Subrahmanyam's tenure.

PM Modi on Saturday met Lahiri shortly after he was named the new Vice-Chairman. The PM also congratulated the other newly appointed full-time members of the think tank in a post on X.

Lahiri's appointment amid elections in West Bengal may not mean anything related to drawing some electoral dividends. However, all these are crucial as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi would now like to take a relook at the developmental journey of 'eastern India' with a renewed perspective. 

All these are also relevant as the PM wants to set the ball rolling in eastern India for achieving a purposeful Viksit Bharat by 2047.   

Bhopal IISER Director Gobardhan Das has been inducted as a full-time member of the government think tank. Das, who also hails from Bengal, is an immunologist. 

Abhay Karandikar, Secretary in the Department of Science and Technology; Dr M Srinivas, Director, Delhi AIIMS; and KV Raju, member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, were the three other full-time members  appointed. 

Former Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, who was appointed last year, is the only full-time existing member of the Aayog who has been retained.

In his media interviews, Lahiri said: "The main challenge is how to formulate new policies and policies .... cannot be the same in every country. Incentives cannot be the same. It has to be adopted. The issue is what is the right policy that will work. 

"If you ask me about thrust area, I believe pillars of development are Education, Health, Infrastructure and law and order". 

On various facets of economy and economy management in West Bengal, he said: "You must not only think of poverty today ... you must think of poverty tomorrow and day after....You don't have to give five rupees to the beggar, you need to ensure that the beggar does not need to beg". 

"In Bengali, we say Tran and pori-tran .... Tran is temporary relief, pori-tran is Deliverance".  To a question about high turnout he said - "It is seen all over the world, whenever there is a discontent against the ruling party .... the anti incumbency shows up in extra turnout".