Kolkata: A wave of saffron swept across Kolkata’s transit hubs on Tuesday as auto-rickshaw operators, sensing a seismic shift in the political landscape, beat a hasty retreat from recent fare hikes and swapped Trinamool Congress banners for BJP flags.The day after the assembly poll results decisively propelled the BJP to power, the city’s auto-rickshaw stands became the site of a “seamless transition”. From Behala Chowrasta and Rashbehari Crossing to Jadavpur Police Station and Mechua, the familiar green-and-maroon flags of the outgoing regime were replaced by saffron ones.The primary catalyst for the sudden change in operator behaviour was the controversial fare hike initiated on May 2. Following an upward revision of autogas prices from Rs 82.9 to Rs 89.4, operators had randomly hiked fares, taking advantage of the interim period before the new govt’s formation. By Tuesday, however, most operators had reverted to old fares.“We saw the writing on the wall,” said one operator at the Tollygunge Phari stand. “The public was angry about the hike, and with a new power in charge, we didn’t want to be the first targets of a crackdown,” said an auto operator in Behala.Commuters noted the shift with a mix of relief and cynicism. “Yesterday they were demanding five rupees extra, citing the gas price,” said a regular commuter at Behala 14 No. “Today, they are polite, charging the old rate, and have a BJP flag tied to the hood,” said Aveek Ghosh, a banker.The transition was marked by rallies where each operator was handed a flag, then smeared with saffron abir, and fed laddus.The political shift allowed some drivers to settle old scores. At Ranikuthi, drivers who were ousted from their original stand a year ago took over the spot overnight. The previous administration had moved them to a nearby alley, a move drivers claim decimated their earnings.“We were driven out in the name of traffic management,” said auto driver Apurba Das. “We had appealed to the local MLA Aroop Biswas several times, but it fell on deaf ears. Now, we are back to business.”Fellow driver Barin Ghosh echoed the sentiment of liberation. “We were compelled to shift for no fault of ours. We are now relieved and decided to get back to the stand on our own,” he said.A BJP party representative, present at the Jadavpur transition, stated that the party intends to bring “discipline” to the sector. “The days of syndicate-run stands and arbitrary hikes are over. These workers are simply seeking refuge in a party that listens,” he said.Notable by his absence was Kumar Saha, a prominent union leader, who controls auto unions across south Kolkata and is a “strongman” in the Kalighat area. “Some of us inquired about him, but he is nowhere to be seen,” an operator remarked, reflecting the sudden vacuum in previous union leadership.
