A mirage?

A mirage?

The All-India Trinamool Congress, after their resounding victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, had promptly begun making the right noises, claiming the lead role for their party as the principal opponent of the BJP. AITC posters and banners soon emerged, predicting the Khela-hobe venue will be in Delhi, and the new PM will be Mamata Banerjee in 2024. The posters were like street cricket, unknown beyond a few houses with balconies or windows facing the street.

A few things happened in the meanwhile. The poll-strategist, Prashant Kishor’s contract, was extended by AITC until 2025, or until the crown would be firmly on Mamata’s head.  Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of Mamata, became the second in command, though he always held the position unofficially. Unlike many other larger political parties, the party can have no challenges for its leadership once Mamata decides to pass the baton and hand over the reins to her nephew. The situation may not be the same if she opts for a leader from outside her family, resulting in a cockfight. 

Mamata has every reason to aspire to be the CM, which emanates from her party’s recent electoral victories and her dislike and contempt for Modi and his BJP party. I guess she and many in Bengal think the present PM is a fluke or a fraud. What must not be missed is what the rest of the states could be thinking of Mamata. 

While she has endeared herself to all opposition leaders as the staunchest critic of Modi, the stature would go for a sharp swing when she poses competition to the other’s plans of proposing opposition PM faces from their respective alliances in 2024.

A senior parliamentarian and spokesperson of AITC has dismissed Rahul Gandhi as the undeserving face for the Prime Minister’s post. He has not stopped at that but has added that Mamata alone is eligible to take on Modi. It may be a fact, but the utterances are enough to upset the Congress, which by the current numbers is much larger than the AITC. A strong group within the Congress party, rattled by Prashant Kishor’s propelling the idea of Mamata as PM ’24, have negated the entry of Kishore into INC as a member. 

Incidentally, AITC ranks 4th in the current Parliament strength, sharing the place with YSR Congress Party with 22 seats, DMK is ahead of AITC with 24 seats, the INC with 52 and the BJP 301 seats.

Rather than trying to put the cart before the horse, her party leaders must consolidate in other states to prove that they are true ‘All India.’ Mere muddying the water in Tripura wouldn’t do. Didi’s party must dare and appear in the UP-election arena, as there is no guarantee for the wing-clipped SP or BSP to support a much stronger Mamata.

Sitaram Yechury has made a significant statement now: ‘Vote over, Jot over,’ meaning the electoral understanding for the last parliamentary election ended with the election. The message is plain and simple; the battered left would like to revive its national presence rather than supporting Mamata.

Without Congress and the Left parties supporting Mamata, it is prudent for her to concentrate and build the economy of West Bengal rather than looking far at Delhi. But her sycophant diehard party leaders wouldn’t stop at anything for now. Mamata’s chances also depend on what the clueless West Bengal State BJP does in the next three years.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix