Click to play videoKolkata: Cyclone Alia has not only wreaked havoc on West Bengal but it has also kicked up a political storm between the ruling Left and the Trinamool Congress.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee brought about an election disaster on Bengal's ruling Left Front government and now the Railway Minister is busy inflicting some more damage to its image.
She is touring the Namkhana region of the Sunderbans that was severely hit by Cyclone Aila and has been blaming the state government for the extent of the damage.
"Every year because of flood and because the irrigation department is so callous, they don't do the repairing work with concrete… so it's a phenomenon, they don't work at all. That's why it's so devastating," blamed Mamata.
The cyclone has left more than 80 dead and 4 lakh homeless in West Bengal. The government is in damage control mode with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee meeting the homeless in the disaster-struck region of Neempith in Joynagar.
"This is a serious cyclonic storm. So I thought I should personally go there. I just assured them… they are asking when they will be able to go back to their houses," said Buddhadeb.
Mamata also scored a political point by postponing her trip to New Delhi and taking charge of the Railway Ministry in Kolkata. As for Bhattacharjee the priority would be to stop people's discontent from spreading any further.
Cyclone Aila has turned out to be a great political leveler and has forced leaders to reach out to their people.
While the Opposition is concentrated on cashing in on the administration's drawbacks, the ruling party's focused on controlling damage not just on life and property but also on its public image.
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