Suvaprasanna (top), Suman

Calcutta, Nov. 20: Mamata Banerjee’s plan of beating Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at his own game by surrounding herself with artists and writers has been jolted by a sharp division in the culture clan.

In the unfolding drama over Kabir Suman’s resignation threat, she is realising that riding the beast called “intellectuals” is probably harder than riding to power.

Although Trinamul leaders claimed that the row over the singer-turned-politician’s comments against local party leaders was resolved today after a two-and-a-half-hour meeting at the Golf Green residence of writer Mahasweta Devi, the public controversy has exposed differences within Mamata’s coterie of “people of prominence”.

“Suman had clearly said that he would not attend meetings in the presence of (painter) Suvaprasanna and that’s why the venue had to be shifted to Mahasweta Devi’s residence. Although Shaonli Mitra and Bibhas Chakraborty (both theatre artistes) didn’t attend the meeting today, they had earlier mentioned their reservations about the painter’s possible presence in today’s discussion,” said a Trinamul insider.

Mahasweta Devi and Bratya Basu (also a theatre artiste) — in the presence of Trinamul leader Partha Chatterjee, poet Joy Goswami, academician Sunanda Sanyal and artists Jogen Chowdhury and Samir Aich — steered the discussion and persuaded Suman to join the remaining part of the winter session of Parliament from Monday.

According to Trinamul sources, the shifting of venue for today’s rapprochement attempt and the role of Basu bore signs of a tilting of the power balance in Mamata’s menagerie of artists and writers.

Till a few months ago, Suvaprasanna was the bridge between Mamata and her sympathisers from the world of art and culture and his Salt Lake address was one of her favourite meeting points.

It is no secret in the Trinamul ranks that Suman fell out of Mamata’s favour because of Suvaprasanna, who recruited a rival singer, Nachiketa, for her.

“But things seem to be changing after the Suman saga and Basu has emerged as the new link between the party and this group of writers and artists. Mamata sent an SMS to Basu to resolve the Suman issue after Suvaprasanna’s attempt to pacify the singer failed,” said a source.

Although Suman had said that a call from Mamata would be enough to solve the problem, she did not ring him. But the singer’s request for a political person’s presence in today’s meeting was accepted and Partha Chatterjee gave Suman a patient hearing before the two posed for the cameras.

“With Suman’s concerns addressed, he would stop making statements…. But the world has come to know that there are two groups in Mamata’s camp of writers and artists. She will find it difficult to manage these two warring factions,” said a Congress leader.

According to him, the “differences” within the group are only to be expected as its members are from different backgrounds — from staunch Left supporters to Naxalite sympathisers.

“As they are from the world of art and culture, many of them had professional rivalries before they came into the Trinamul fold and the undercurrent still persists. Keeping them as a cohesive group will be a challenge for Mamata,” he said.

In the competition between the two camps, some of Mamata’s decisions are seen as showering favours on a select few. Suvaprasanna is the chairman of the passenger amenities committee of the railways, Nachiketa is a regular feature in railways shows and Mitra heads the heritage committee of the railways.

A Trinamul leader also admitted that there were differences within the group over who would be the link between Mamata and the rest.

“But all of them are unanimous that Mamata is their leader and their fight is against the CPM. So I think this episode will not have any impact on our poll prospects in 2011,” said the leader.

The chief minister might be losing sleep over the possible outcome of the 2011 polls, but the cracks in Mamata’s culture coterie might make Bhattacharjee enjoy a private chuckle.