It’s not merely enough to get Opposition parties together to take on the BJP at the general elections next year. For Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, the venue from where to start that unity process seems equally important.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy, Tejaswi Yadav, after holding an hour-long meeting with the two leaders at the Bengal state secretariat Nabanna on Monday, Banerjee said: “I have requested Nitish ji that just like the JP Movement, which began from Bihar in the 1970s, another such meeting should take place in that state. I am talking about a household meeting of leaders first from where we can decide on the future course of action. A message should go out that the Opposition is together, post that we can decide on the manifesto and other details.”
Banerjee was, of course, referring to Janata Party founder Jayprakash Narayan’s call to oust then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the mid-1970s which led to the latter’s proclamation of national Emergency, her subsequent defeat in the 1977 general elections and the formation of the Janata Party-led first non-Congress government at the Centre post-Independence.
Banerjee, who is perceived to be a great believer of political symbolism and messaging, had organised an all-party show of strength at the Brigade Parade Ground in Calcutta to fight the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. She chose January 19 as the date to hold that public meeting so that she could “give her call for 19 from the 19th”. The BJP’s thumping victory in those polls and the Opposition’s disarray ever since may have made Banerjee think of an alternate venue this time around.
“We are also talking to other Opposition parties across the country and there are no personal ego clashes amongst any of us. We all want to work together collectively and this is the message that we are sending out today,” Banerjee said after Monday’s meeting, hinting that underlying leadership issues may need to be smoothed out before a final shape is given to a possible united Opposition platform.
“If our theme is common and our vision and mission clear, there can be no obstacle to stop us,” she added.
Sharpening her attack against the ruling dispensation at the Centre, Banerjee said: “I have always reiterated that BJP should be brought down to zero. They have become big heroes without doing anything for the people. They have done this with the help of the media, by changing narratives and making fake videos which they push day-in, day out. All they indulge is in jumlas and goondaism,” Banerjee said.
“Our chat with the Bengal Chief Minister was positive and fruitful. In the coming days, all other political parties will also meet and chart our way forward,” Nitish Kumar said and added: “We held a political discussion with Didi, where we decided that all political parties should unite and fight against BJP together. We will have more such discussions in the future and decide on the future course of action.”
Political observers felt that Monday’s meeting, a continuation of the Trinamul chief’s sustained efforts to reach out to non-BJP regional leaders for building a united front against the BJP, was a step towards culminating a process of forging a grand alliance that has been simultaneously undertaken by several state leaders of the country.
Banerjee has already held talks with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Biju Janata Dal supremo Naveen Patnaik and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy, offering to campaign for the party in the upcoming Karnataka polls. She has reportedly remained in close touch with leaders like DMK’s MK Stalin and AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal.
Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar, who has been running an anti-BJP mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar ever since he severed ties with the BJP in August 2022, has himself been active in reaching out to important non-BJP forces. Earlier this month, both Kumar and Yadav called on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi to discuss Opposition unity. Following their meeting with Banerjee in Calcutta, the duo flew to Lucknow to hold talks with Akhilesh Yadav on the same matter.
Similar efforts have also been undertaken by MK Stalin whose recent attempt to get Opposition parties on the same platform on issues concerning marginalized communities of the country had reportedly evoked decent enthusiasm among the participating leaders across the Opposition spectrum.
Asked whether any kind of unity formula was discussed at the Monday meet, Banerjee said: “Such things can evolve only after we sit together. Only then can the parties decide how to take this forward.” On a question of the Congress’s track record of offering leadership to regional parties in the past, Banerjee said: “You need not worry about those things. People of the country will fight against the BJP. All parties will work together.”
Kumar added: “Whatever we decide should be for the benefit of our nation. Currently, the party that is governing our country does not care about development. All they care about is their own propaganda, while the country’s development has taken a back seat.”
“If you look at the history of our nation, those who didn’t take part in our freedom struggle are today, hell-bent on changing its history. We must stay alert,” the Bihar chief minister observed.
