Income generation and industrialisation are key for Bengal to survive

HAVING SERVED PRIME ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh as chief economic adviser, Ashok Lahiri has now taken the political plunge.

- RABI BANERJEE

A member of the 15th Finance Commission, Lahiri was originally supposed to contest from the Alipurduar seat in North Bengal. However, after opposition from local BJP leaders, the party’s central leadership shifted Lahiri to Balurghat, the place his mother grew up in.

While the BJP has kept Bengalis guessing about its chief minister candidate, the state-level leadership has hinted that Lahiri could be their next finance minister. Excerpts from an interview:

You are an economist, policymaker and banker. But most people do not know that you are also a psephologist. What is your take on the Bengal elections?

People hardly know what goes on. I have some knowledge about the polls, but I never realised it is such a hard job. My candidature has made me understand this.

What do you mean?

In the past, policymakers like me used to blame politicians for not doing enough. That they did not fulfil promises. But they represent the electorate. Like [former US president] Barack Obama said, “You get the politicians you deserve.” So, the politician cannot do something that his people will revolt against.

You said you have taken many things from Bengal and would now like to repay the state. What do you want to give back?