At a time when the Trinamool Congress leadership is giving a call for united Opposition against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at Centre, the Opposition parties in West Bengal have come on a same page to oppose the Trinamool government in the State.
On Thursday, when State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for unity within the Opposition parties during a dharna on Red Road, the leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) — Mohammad Salim, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and Sujan Chakraborty — participated in the protest of the State government employees, which has been going on for the past two months now, demanding parity in DA (Dearness Allowance) with the Union government staff.
A few moments later, Leader of the Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was seen at the same venue. Following this, Congress spokesperson Koustav Bagchi also joined the protesting employees. This was not the first time that the Opposition parties in West Bengal had come on a single platform against the Trinamool Congress government.
Along with sharing the stage with protesting employees, the leaders of the BJP, Left parties and the Congress have all repeatedly reached out to job aspirants protesting against the recruitment scam in the State-run schools. The Opposition coming together has also resulted in electoral setbacks to Trinamool. From a cooperative poll in Nandakumar held in November 2022 to the bypoll of Sagardighi in March 2023, the understanding between the Opposition has posed a challenge for the Trinamool Congress, which is ruling the State for the past 11 years.
Suvendu’s call of ‘No vote for Trinamool’
Amidst the Opposition parties coming on one page, Mr. Adhikari asked Opposition parties in West Bengal should ensure that there should be “no vote for Trinamool Congress”. Last week, the Nandigram BJP MLA reached out to Left Parties to join people’s mahajot (grand alliance). “Those against the Trinamool Congress need to join the ‘mahajot’, keeping their respective ideologies intact. There will be only two camps in the battle ahead, one Trinamool and one against it(the Trinamool),” he said on March 24.
Mr. Adhikari was also seen publicly praising the leaders of Left parties for their simple lifestyle. Also, when the Trinamool Congress leadership targeted the Left Front government for nepotism in jobs in the State-run schools, the BJP leadership ignored the allegations. The Left parties have rejected the BJP leader’s call of joining “ people’s mahajot” and are making attempts that they are not seen sharing stage with BJP leadership.
Political observer and psephologist Biswanath Chakraborty said that calls by the Opposition like “no vote to Trinamool“ will give a message to voters at the ground level to vote strategically against the ruling party.
“So in places where the Left is strong the Opposition will vote for Left and vice-versa where BJP is strong Opposition votes will rally behind the BJP,” said Professor Chakraborty, who teaches political science at Rabindra Bharati University. He added the upcoming panchayat polls will be litmus test to test “strategic understanding” of the Opposition parties.
Mamata’s claims pact between Ram and Baam
The allegations of all the Opposition parties working together have often been raised by the Trinamool Congress chairperson. Ms. Banerjee had said that “Ram (BJP), Baam (Left) and Shyam (Congress)” has been trying to unsettle the Trinamool Congress for quite some time. After the Sagardighi bypoll, she claimed that there was an “immoral alliance” between the Left, Congress and the BJP and ruled out any alliance with the Left parties and Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. She later, however, softened her stand and called for unity of Opposition from her ‘dharna stage’ on March 29 and March 30.
Professor Chakraborty said that there seems to be a polarisation of Opposition forces on issues like “corruption” and the allegations of “Ram Baam” coming together will help the voters of Opposition to vote strategically against the Trinamool Congress.
