- The political landscape in the country will have an air of anticipation, urgency, and nervous energy aftermath of the recently concluded state assembly elections to four states and one union territory, respectively. The West Bengal elections garnered huge attention owing to its extremely polarizing narrative when the Bharatiya Janata Party went all out with its enormous resources against the equally belligerent and combative incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee defending her fortress. Of course, there were crucial states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam that had their own permutations and combinations in the overall scheme of political churnings. The entire nation was focused on the eventual electoral results amidst the raging virus crisis is stating the obvious.
PC: Anil kumar poka
- There were no major disappointments and upsets but for the emphatic victory for the Mamata-led Trinamool Congress garnering more seats than all the exit polls pundits predicted before the ballot counting took place. Likewise, the DMK led by MK Stalin comfortably secured a majority that will place him on the most coveted Chief Minister’s chair for the first time. Similarly, the veteran and seasoned political campaigner in LDF’s Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala also secured impressive returns reversing the trend of a revolving door in the god’s own country by beating the popular perceptions. All these occurrences are playing out at a time when a palpable vacuum exists at the national opposition space as the Grand Old Party’s powers are on the wane.
- The BJP’s poll machinery is constantly on the churning rolling out relentlessly is a known fact. Single-minded determination to usurp unconquered political territories is always pursued by the BJP juggernaut and many opposing parties, both at the national and regional levels, are comfortably streamlined as the experiences suggest. However, Mamata and the southern satraps standing tall unmoved/untouched by the BJP’s electoral blitzkrieg offers a winsome template to checkmate the Hindutva brigade from simply rolling over all others. Make no mistake, there is a visible downturn in the Centre-State relations today largely owing to BJP’s no-holds-barred electoral approach to win the contests with such forceful conviction.
PC: Saurabh Sinha
- People in the know would recall the letter written by Mamata Banerjee to opposition leaders in the middle of the Bengal polls calling on them to unite against BJP’s alleged subversion of constitutional federalism. Thus, there is every possibility that Trinamool supremo will lead the charge by creating a common cause among regional chieftains to band together and present formidable challenges to the BJP’s plans. Past experiences of forging the third front have come a cropper when a national party propping the disparate group has pulled the rug from under the feet. The two United Front governments in the 1990s have faced the ignominy of conceding ground prematurely courtesy the Congress failing to persist with the arrangements.
- For the third front to pose any real challenge to the BJP juggernaut will have to be fronted by a strong leader with charisma, traction, and the ability to act as a central glue to hold different elements which Mamata unquestioningly possesses in great abundance. However, whether Didi is seriously inclined to essay a pivotal role at the national level greatly depends on her willingness to forego Bengali parochialism. The responsibility demands genuine statesmanship to elevate self from regional to national roleplay to take on the mantle of the mercurial national opposition leadership. Time will reveal what is in store for the country’s political landscape. Interesting days ahead for sure!
