Fissures In Opposition Unity: INC's Unlikely Alliance With TMC Leaves Its Bengal Unit In A Quandary

The warm camaraderie displayed by the top leaders of the Congress, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi, as well as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), during the Opposition parties' Bengaluru conclave has created a dilemma for the Congress unit in Bengal and its other ally, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M).

Recently, Bengal witnessed widespread violence and chaos during the panchayat polls, resulting in the death of over 50 people. The Congress, CPI(M), and the state's principal Opposition party, BJP, criticized the TMC government for the "reign of terror" unleashed during the polls.

Although the TMC emerged victorious in the rural polls, the results indicated that a section of minority voters, who hold significant influence in many seats across the state, supported the alliance between the Congress, CPI(M)-led Left, and the Indian Secular Front (ISF). This bolstered their fight against the state's ruling party.

Politically, it is speculated that Mamata may be seeking to counter the perceived erosion of the TMC's minority vote base by collaborating with the Congress.

Previously, the TMC leadership and their media outlet, "Jago Bangla," frequently targeted the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

Following the 2021 Assembly polls, where the Left and the Congress suffered significant losses and failed to secure any seats, Mamata Banerjee was took oath as the Chief Minister for her third consecutive term. The TMC praised Mamata as the "most accepted Opposition face" and emphasized the need for an Opposition coalition.

They acknowledged that while the Congress is the largest Opposition party, it seemed inactive and disconnected from the people. Therefore, the responsibility of leading the Opposition forces was entrusted to Mamata, and all eyes turned to her.

During the Vice-Presidential election in August 2022, the TMC made it clear that they would not play a subservient role to the Congress.

They refused to support the Opposition's Vice-Presidential candidate Margaret Alva, claiming that she was chosen unilaterally by the Congress. This decision came after the Opposition, including the Congress, had jointly supported Yashwant Sinha, who was the TMC's choice for the Presidential candidate.

The relationship between the Congress and the TMC reached a new low during the Meghalaya Assembly elections in February 2023, where both parties were at loggerheads. In November 2021, the TMC made a dramatic entry into Meghalaya politics when 12 out of the 17 Congress MLAs, led by former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, defected to the TMC.

Overnight, the TMC became the main Opposition party in Meghalaya, despite having no previous presence there.

During the campaign for the Meghalaya polls, Rahul Gandhi criticized the TMC, highlighting the history of violence in Bengal and the alleged involvement in scams like the Saradha scam. He also accused the TMC of spending large sums of money in Goa to support the BJP.

Rahul claimed that the TMC's intention in Meghalaya was to strengthen the BJP and ensure their victory.

Responding to Rahul's criticism, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, who is Mamata's nephew, had tweeted that the Congress has failed to resist the BJP and their irrelevance, incompetence, and insecurity have put them in a state of delirium. He urged Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his politics of vanity instead of attacking them. Abhishek emphasized that the TMC's growth is not driven by money but by the love of the people.

Abhishek also questioned the Congress's intentions in Bengal Elections 2021, pointing out that when they contested 92 seats, it could be said that it was also to help the BJP. He added that Rahul Gandhi's statements against the TMC were quite unfounded, especially considering that the Congress had lost 40 out of the last 45 Assembly Elections in India.

During her campaign in Meghalaya, Mamata criticized the Congress, questioning their moral rights to seek votes. She highlighted the perceived contradictions in the Congress's actions and their claims.

Jago Bangla, a media outlet, also accused the Congress of working as a B-team of the BJP during the Bengal Assembly elections. They asserted that now the Left, Congress, and BJP have openly joined hands.

After winning the Sagardighi Assembly seat bypoll in Bengal in February, the Congress yet again faced the wrath of Mamata. Mamata declared that in 2024, the Trinamool would form an alliance with the people and fight alone with their support.

She said that she believed that those who wanted to defeat the BJP would vote for her party, and accused those voting for the CPI(M) and Congress of indirectly supporting the BJP.

In March, the relationship between the two parties took a positive turn following Rahul's disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP. Rahul had been convicted and sentenced for his 2019 Modi surname remark.

Abhishek, speaking at a TMC rally in Kolkata, questioned why PM Modi should not be charged for "hurting the sentiments of women in West Bengal" with his taunt of "Didi o Didi!" during the 2021 polls. He argued that if Rahul could face disqualification for his comments, the same should apply to PM Modi and Suvendu Adhikari.

During her 30-hour sit-in demonstration against the alleged mistreatment of the state by the Modi government, Mamata emphasized the importance of opposition unity in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Mamata-Congress relations grew warmer following the Congress's significant victory in Karnataka.

The TMC leadership expressed concern about the minority votes, which were crucial for their success in the 2021 polls. They feared that if these votes shifted to the Congress, they would face defeat in many areas. This concern led to a shifting stance towards Congress.

According to analysts, the TMC analyzed that if Congress supported them in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, they could secure more than 35 seats in Bengal. However, if Congress did not support them, the TMC alone would aim to win around 25 seats.

Meanwhile, at the Bengaluru meeting, Mamata's close relationship with the Congress leaders, particularly Rahul Gandhi, has surprised the leaders of Bengal Congress. Mamata even referred to Rahul Gandhi as "our favorite," leaving the Bengal Congress leaders taken aback.

Taking advantage of the dilemma within the Congress and Left parties in the state after the Bengaluru conclave, Suvendu Adhikari suggested that those who want to fight against the TMC government should join the BJP or create a platform to stand together against the tyrannical state government.

He emphasized the need to distance oneself from Mamata and stated that the people of West Bengal would not believe those who fight against the state government while aligning with the leaders who attended the alliance meeting.

He coined the phrase, "Dosti (friendship) in Delhi and wrestling in Bengal," to describe such a situation.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury also acknowledged that this cooperation between parties only works at the state level. He urged the concerned parties to initiate discussions at the state level to determine the best electoral arrangement that would maximize the anti-BJP stand and prevent the BJP from taking advantage of the division among anti-BJP forces.

Notably, it was decided in the Bengaluru Opposition meet that the decision-making process will primarily take place at the state level.

The Bengal state Congress has expressed its apprehension on the issue and the challenges the party leadership would face if it decides to form a seat-sharing alliance with the TMC. Koustav Bagchi, a party leader, firmly stated that they will not accept any alliance with the TMC, citing the loss of eight Congress workers due to the TMC's actions.

In this regard, State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury emphasized that the political situation in Bengaluru has no connection to Bengal politics. He reiterated that the TMC had engaged in corrupt practices and violence during the panchayat election.

He also clarified that the central leadership of the Congress party never endorsed or praised the TMC. Adhir Chowdhury assured the BJP that the fight against the TMC will continue.

CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty affirmed that their party is engaged in a battle against both the BJP and the TMC in West Bengal. He made it clear that there is no possibility of forming an alliance with the TMC. The fight against both parties will persist in the state.

This comes even as the Opposition parties in Bengaluru decided to name their anti-BJP front as 'I.N.D.I.A'.