- People closely following the political developments in the country would not miss the too very obvious moves of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) solely aimed at positioning itself as the alternative national party to take on the might of the Bharatiya Janata Party. This move comes against the backdrop of several opposition parties rallying to ally to pitch against the BJP whose electioneering machinery surges ahead relentlessly. Where does such a move leave the Grand Old Party, the Indian National Congress which has experienced several setbacks over the last few years?
PC: Hemant Singh
- Indications appearing to leave no doubts whatsoever that the Trinamool chief is making no bones about her ambitions to essay a central role distinctly separate from the Congress-led opposition alliance. She is simply not prepared to cede the ground anymore or to anyone else. The moot point to ponder over here is whether the West Bengal regional party has the necessary traction to don the role of a pan-India party by excluding the omnipresent Grand Old Party across the nook and corner of the country. The answer is a big no. Winning an election in Bengal is an achievement that cannot be disputed.
- However, it is quite a different matter altogether to emerge as a true blood national party where regional parties hold tremendous sway over their respective territories. Make no mistake, it takes work over generations for a political party to establish a potent pan-India footprint. Of course, the erstwhile Congress had such a footprint. However, the party was a product of historical circumstances presiding over the country for decades. Nonetheless, the BJP today is the only party with a national footprint that is reminiscent of the old Congress, and it is not quite there yet.
PC: Heena Gupta
- What is interesting is how BJP is still trying to get there, something that is mimicked by its potential challengers, including the TMC. To use business terminology, Indian politics appears to be in a phase of inorganic growth. Look at the way the TMC supremo is projecting herself as the opposition fulcrum during her Maharashtra tour. Some of the moves initiated by the party are dubious, to say the least. It emerged as the main opposition in Meghalaya by poaching from Congress. It has mounted an election campaign in Goa where Congress appears as much a target as the incumbent BJP CM.
- When questioned by the news reporters, the TMC chief’s retort asking where the UPA is? aptly mirrors the uncluttered thinking about donning the leadership role nudging the Congress out of the equation. The BJP’s influence in Hindi-speaking states and western India is beyond questioning. However, the same cannot be mentioned about South India where it is still struggling to establish a firm foothold despite making great inroads in Karnataka. It is unlikely the TMC will end its quest to position itself as a national party. Of course, it may well be premature to read too much into these events. But there is no doubt that Indian politics is indeed witnessing some interesting expansionary strategies completely altering the political landscape in the years ahead.
