Is Mamata eyeing to vanquish the BJP, or is it a bid to position herself as the leader of an Oppn front?

Amid the heat and dust of the ongoing Assembly elections, TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has shot off a letter to all Opposition leaders asking them to unite against the BJP’s “authoritarian rule”. Some may term it “ill-timed” or “too late” with respect to the State elections but Mamata’s attempt to bring together all major Opposition parties on a common platform definitely reflects her ambition to foray into national-level politics. Also, rather than being seen in isolation, the move is meant to send a message to public that she is the only leader taking on the BJP and any vote against the saffron party should therefore go to her outfit. The earlier elections — be it the Lok Sabha or State polls, barring a few — have shown that the BJP is too formidable for the Opposition, which must unite keeping aside all differences if it has to put up a serious contest. However, Mamata’s aspirations to lead a united Opposition front against the BJP are easier said than achieved. Further, any such attempt would be futile if the Congress chooses to stay out of it. Even in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ among the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Uttar Pradesh failed to make a dent in the BJP’s performance. Similarly, the grand alliance of the Opposition in Bihar failed to yield the desired outcome.

The recent successive mandates in favour of the BJP prove that people want a stable Government at the Centre, led by a strong party, and not an amalgamation Government with several outfits fighting among themselves for power-sharing and plump Ministries. Such differences are also evident in seat-sharing among partners, as happened in Bihar. However, Mamata’s outreach may also be seen as her nervousness and apprehension that she might lose her bastion to the BJP. If that happens, Mamata will have to look toward national politics to secure her own and the TMC’s future. However, there is minimal possibility for any grouping to form a Government at the Centre without the Congress’ help. So, the moot question is whether the ‘Grand Old Party’ will be part of such a coalition? If Mamata or other regional players lead it, which they shall try for in earnest, then what about the future of Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders? What will be their position in such a coalition? Mamata, in her enthusiasm or desperation, can write such letters hoping to unite the Opposition but for the regional players it won’t be an easy task to shed their ideologies, rivalries and differences to stand together on the same podium. The TMC had better concentrate on the ongoing Assembly elections in Bengal and let the embryonic idea of the Opposition’s unity develop in the womb of the future. As of now, the BJP seems a formidable opponent for the TMC and the rest of the Opposition, at least at the national level.