INDIA, the coalition of Opposition parties, has been in existence for a while. However, the proverbial birth pangs, which were delayed, seem to be unfolding at the moment, with the bloc suffering its most severe contractions in Bengal and Punjab. First, Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of Bengal, declared that the Trinamul Congress would contest the Lok Sabha elections on its own in Bengal, putting serious question marks on the prospects of a joint electoral fight with the Congress as a partner. Incidentally, the ties between the Left and Ms Banerjee remain far from comradely. Next, it was the turn of Bhagwant Singh Mann, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party and chief minister of Punjab, to rule out a seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress in that state. Meanwhile, there are whispers from Bihar that Nitish Kumar, who has a history of changing political stripes, could be ready for yet another somersault. Mr Kumar’s misgivings about the way in which the Congress and some other allies responded to his stature — ambitions — within the alliance are well-documented. In Maharashtra too, the negotiations for seats among INDIA’s constituents have not been butter smooth. The developments have, unsurprisingly, forced the Congress on the back foot, with conciliatory noises emerging about Ms Banerjee’s indispensability to the Opposition’s cause.
There is speculation that all this might well be a part of the electoral parlour game. After all, politicians often weaponise drastic pronouncements to gain advantage on the negotiation table. But there is often a fine line that must be maintained between strategic imperatives and the perception battle; INDIA, undoubtedly, has lagged behind in mastering the latter. Now, with some of the principal allies in the coalition adopting seemingly adversarial positions months before the general elections, the view that the Opposition lacks the political cohesion and the ideological unity that are necessary to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party could gain further ground. The shape and, some would add, the survival of the alliance would remain predicated on these pulls and pressures that may intensify in the near future. It would take prudence and wisdom from the senior leaders in the Opposition to circumvent the potholes on their path: the resolution of the seat-sharing puzzle would certainly turn out to be the trickiest test. INDIA’s mettle is being tested — ironically even before the first vote is cast.