By Ashis Biswas
West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Ms. Mamata Banerjee has just publicly rejected an alliance with the state Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, but in truth, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) had decided to shake up the still evolving opposition I.N.D.I.A anti-BJP coalition some days ago. There had been a few disturbing signals — the TMC’s leaders/spokesmen from Guwahati to West Bengal, had been suddenly decrying opposition prospects much too frankly and freely during the last few days.
As expected, the timing of Ms Banerjee’s announcement of its ‘go-it-alone in West Bengal’ message, even as the INDIA opposition barely launched serious seat adjustment talks — perhaps the most difficult part of any alliance formation! — is unusually significant. No wonder, there are suggestions from parties normally critical of Ms Banerjee that the TMC is once more turning out to be a willing Trojan horse for the BJP, wrecking opposition unity from within !
Regardless of desperate efforts made by the Indian National Congress leader Mr Jairam Ramesh to salvage whatever remained of his party’s credibility, the TMC’s unilateral stand was undeniably a major setback for any anti- BJP political initiative. Worse, with only two months to go for the crucial 2024 Lok sabha polls, Ms Banerjee’s angry outburst, as feared, was nothing short of sweet music for a delighted BJP camp, going by BJP spokesman Mr Amit Malviya’s ecstatic tweet.
Bottom line : even as the TMC’s disconcerting move exposed the essential weaknesses within a still divided opposition , CPI(M) and state Congress leaders now claim with renewed vigour that their main and basic charge — the TMC always sabotages any anti BJP initiative — stands fully vindicated. How far these parties succeed in convincing major sections of the electorate in East and Northeast India that if the BJP is a communal force, the TMC is its effective ally — remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, there are suggestions from senior Congressmen that some of Ms Banerjee’s accusations against India’s oldest political party are ‘not factually correct’. One example –her allegation that nobody from Congress had informed her about Mr Rahul Gandhi’s proposed ‘Yatra’ to be carried out in Bengal. Congress sources, who were in the process of drawing up a detailed response to some of Ms Banerjee’s allegations, told media persons, this was not true. Information had been sent to Kolkata in due time about the Congress programme.
Furthermore, Congress had formally invited the TMC to join its proposed march among the people to be undertaken by Mr Rahul Gandhi. Party Chairman Mr M. Kharge had also written to the TMC extending an invitation. All communication to the TMC had been sent both digitally and on hard copy, they insisted.
On many occasions again, Congress leaders had appealed to other anti BJP parties such as the CPIM), other left parties and especially the TMC to join in its anti- BJP mass campaign, contrary to Ms Banerjee’s claims.
Signs that the TMC had decided to announce its’ go-it-alone -in- the- 2024 polls’ decision even before Ms Banerjee’s formal announcement were ,as stated before, perceived in the Northeast, in a sudden escalation of anti Congress rhetoric among TMC leaders.
To take the case of Assam: the TMC significantly boycotted a meeting of Assam-based opposition parties called by Mr, Rahul Gandhi at Gohpur near Guwahati some days ago. This is a grouping of 15 parties and outfits without the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). The TMC had joined it somewhat late.
Defending their boycott, TMC leaders said they were unhappy particularly with Mr, Gandhi and Congress as a whole for the repeated snubs the bigger party had administered to the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.
Examples: (a) Ms Banerjee had called upon I.N.D.I.A to finalise seat adjustments first before deciding campaign strategy/programmes. Her suggestion was not accepted.
She followed this up by proposing (b) that seat adjustments be discussed and finalised by October 15, 2023. – Outcome-suggestion not accepted.
She again suggested that © seat adjustments/advanced by positively concluded by December 31 2023, to enable parties to co-ordinate their pre-poll scheduling and programmes. This proposal too was rejected.
On each occasion, it was Congress that had objected most strongly. Apparently, it was a part of the overall Congress approach to weaken and sideline the TMC as far as possible, even while drawing up a nation-wide anti BJP programme. This was the strategy of Congress to contain the TMC, the biggest/strongest force in Bengal and the largest emerging anti-BJP outfit in the NE region.
Naturally, the TMC would never accept these conditions in the name of working for opposition unity.
Assam TMC leader Mr Ripun Bora told the media as early as Jan 20, days before Ms Banerjee made her anti-Congress pitch that his party was particularly unhappy with Mr. Rahul Gandhi. If necessary, the TMC would go it alone. It was still within the opposition camp, but would adopt a wait and watch posture for now.
These details of the TMC’s catalogue of complaints were published in Assamiya print media on January 20, well before Ms Banerjee’s outburst from Bengal.
However, observers in general are inclined to treat Ms Banerjee’s protest as a mere pressure tactic, despite widespread national political speculation. They feel that there is ample time and as well as plenty of opportunities for further negotiations and dialogue, between now and the coming elections. In case the TMC was really serious and meant business, it would have walked out of the opposition alliance by now. (IPA Service)
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