He came to office without any of the trappings of a chief minister - no sirens, no right of way - unlike his illustrious predecessor Mr Jyoti Basu, who retired recently from the top job.

By that one apparently innocuous act, Mr Bhattacharya seems to have expressed his willingness to break loose from the past, and begin the daunting task of carving out his own niche in an administration which threatens to burden him with the looming shadow of his predecessor. Mr Basu was famous for blocking traffic for several minutes as he stepped out for lunch, and cars, buses and mini buses would have to wait in the sweltering heat as the patriarch cruised along in his air-conditioned white Ambassador, heading home in the afternoons. I have been a witness to this "ceremony" several times.

But Mr Bhattacharya should also take care not to shed his spartan habits as he gets used to the frills of the office of chief minister. The fact that the Basu hangover weighs on his head was also proved when he referred to Mr Basu as the chief minister after he himself took charge. Agreed, Mr Basu has reigned for 23 long years, but a new beginning will simply have to be made. And the sooner Mr Bhattacharya, better known as Buddha in Calcutta circles, attains enlightenment, the better for him and his party.

Of course, he did other nice things on taking charge. He cleared land for Wipro, talked of privatising the embarrassment called Great Eastern Hotel and also said the right things about militant trade unionism. Having interviewed Mr Bhattacharya earlier, I know that the man is capable of speaking his mind, and can be disarmingly candid. Once when I had interviewed him, he had admitted that the police in his state does go overboard sometimes. And that coming from a home (police) minister, which he still continues to be, was quite a frank admission.

Mr Bhattacharya's first task now would be to get the state infrastructure in order. The roads, still in pathetic shape, need repair as does the mindset of the Bengal labour unions, long used to government protection and indiscipline. He also needs to shed his image of a culture vulture comfortable only in the confines of his favourite hideout Nandan, the cultural complex in the heart of Calcutta.

But most of all, Mr Bhattacharya must show to the state and the rest of the country that he means business. Literally.