The success of the Dhaka visit shows that both leaders have come to realise that cooperation, not confrontation, is to their advantage
It is often said that there are no permanent enemies or friends in politics. Political leaders have often proved it. look at what happened last week, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee showed off their bonhomie on foreign soil — in Bangladesh. What is the reason behind the sudden changeIJ Ms Banerjee was the last one to make a call on Mr Modi. Their ideas were a mismatch, both were believers of a personality cult. During the past one year, the BJP and the Trinamool Congress continued their public spats against each other.
However, political compulsions forced them to go for a Plan B and they choose cooperation rather than confrontation. Interestingly, Mr Modi went out of the way in humoring Ms Banerjee. The latter played along by being in Dhaka during his visit when the land boundary agreement was signed on June 6. It is now clear that much of the spade work has been done.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and a few other confidants of both leaders had prepared the ground at the beginning of this year. This culminated in the unusual gesture on Ms Banerjee’s part.
The moral of the story is that both of them now realise that it is to their advantage to cooperate rather than confront each other. This fits in with Mr Modi’s pet concept of cooperative federalism. “I am confident that with the support of the State Governments in India, we can reach a fair solution on the Teesta water-sharing agreement and Feni rivers. We should also work together to renew and clean our rivers”, Mr Modi said.
He has already taken steps regarding this. He has been reaching out to other regional satraps like Ms J Jayalalithaa and Mr Naveen Patnaik. He wants to keep the door open for these regional satraps to prevent them from going along with the UPA. This will also strengthen the NDA, if at some point of time, parties like the TMC and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam return to its fold.
Moreover, the Modi magic seems to be waning. The Aam Aadmi Party’s victory in Delhi stunned the political world. The BJP was also grounded in the West Bengal municipal election where Ms Banerjee triumphed. Finally, Mr Modi needs the support of these non-UPA parties to sail through in the Rajya Sabha for the next three years, until the BJP gains a majority to push through key legislations. The BJP will like to keep the options open for an alliance with the TMC.
As for Ms Banerjee, she had dreams for a bigger national role and took on Mr Modi to show her minority voters that she could lead the secular brigade. Before the lok Sabha poll, she thought that the BJP might emerge with less than a majority and she might play a part as a kingmaker.
Now, she has seen the reality. She also knows that to win the Assembly poll, scheduled for the next year, she has to get more funds from the Centre. West Bengal, which has been reeling under unemployment and lack of industrial development, most definitely needs financial assistance from the Centre. Her cooperating on the lBA, asking for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe in the Ranaghat nun-rape case, supporting NDA legislative measures in the Rajya Sabha, were examples of the fast turnaround.
Also, the Saradha scam and the arrest of some TMC leaders close to hercreated a panic in the party. And she had to contain the damage. The allegation is that Ms Banerjee has traded TMC support in Parliament for a pause on the CBI activism on the Saradha chit fund scam. As for the Bangladesh visit, facilitating friendly relations with that country can only add to her credit in her State. She did not want to be seen as an obstructionist Chief Minister.
The newfound bonhomie has certainly irked the opposition parties like the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) who question her motive. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi raised it publicly this week after the Dhaka visit and so did the CPI-M. However, knowing her track record, this cannot be the end. Ms Banerjee, as a shrewd politician, will keep all her options open — and so will Mr Modi.