Congress allies snub social gathering in West Bengal polls by supporting TMC as a substitute

The West Bengal State Legislative elections, that are scheduled to begin from March 27, have change into the battleground of political contradictions. While the upcoming polls are anticipated to be a troublesome contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it’s a case of political survival for the grand-old Congress social gathering.
In a bid to show round its political fortunes, the Congress has solid an alliance with its as soon as arch-rival Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Islamist Abbas Siddiqui’s Indian Secular Front (ISF). The grand outdated social gathering hopes to strengthen its maintain over the Muslim vote financial institution and save its face within the upcoming polls. While possibilities of the Congress social gathering are slim to none within the elections, the social gathering is now being shunted out by its allies in different States.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which fought alongside the Congress in Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha polls of 2019, have determined to help Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) as a substitute of its personal ally. Although Congress and JMM run the coalition authorities in Jharkhand, JMM chief Hemant Soren knowledgeable that his social gathering wouldn’t contest the polls in West Bengal. He as a substitute prolonged his full help to TMC in order that BJP may very well be stopped from coming to energy.
Screengrab of Times Now articleIt have to be talked about that Mamata Banerjee had earlier requested Hemant Soren to marketing campaign for her social gathering in order that the ‘communal forces’ may very well be defeated within the State. Soren, the incumbent CM of Jharkhand, yields affect over the workforce from Jharkhand who’re employed in Bengal’s tea gardens. But, as a substitute of vouching for its personal ally, JMM realised that the Congress social gathering lacks the potential to cease the BJP within the State.
Screengrab of the Hindustan Times reportBesides JMM, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has additionally snubbed the Congress forward of West Bengal polls. It have to be talked about that the 2 events are a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi authorities in Maharashtra, a coalition involving the Shiv Sena. Even the Sena, which had solid an alliance with the Congress after betraying its ally BJP post-elections, additionally appeared to haven’t any hopes from the grand outdated social gathering.
Shiv Sena chief Sanjay Raut had prolonged his social gathering’s help to the TMC and determined in opposition to contesting elections in West Bengal. Hailing Mamata Banerjee as a ‘real tigress’, he claimed that the TMC camp was being hounded utilizing cash, muscle and media energy. He additionally took to Twitter to assert that the Vidhan Sabha polls is a combat between the TMC and everybody else.
Justifying the social gathering’s place to help TMC, Raut commented, “All ‘M’s – Money, Muscle and Media are being used against ‘Mamata Didi’. Hence, Shivsena has decided not to Contest West Bengal polls & stand in solidarity with her. We wish Mamata Didi a ‘roaring’ success, ‘cos we believe She is the real Bengal Tigress.”
Screengrab of the article in The HinduThe Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), an ally of the Congress in Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan and Jharkhand’s UPA authorities, has additionally backed TMC earlier this month. After assembly Mamata Banerjee, RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav mentioned, “This is a battle for values. Laluji ka nirnay hai Mamataji ko full support karna hai (Laluji has decided that we should fully support Mamata ji). We will stand by her wherever we can. This is a larger fight to stop communal forces from dividing our nation.”
Screengrab of the Times of India articleHe additional added, “Bengal has a lot of Hindi-speaking people from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. I would appeal to everyone to back Mamata Didi will all our strength to ensure her win. We support her in her fight for Bengal’s language, culture, literature.” Even Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav has voiced his help for the BJP. While SP and RJD have been the erstwhile allies of the Left entrance, they’ve ditched each the Left-Congress coalition to cease the BJP.
It is ironical to witness that the Congress, which hopes to show its fortunes in West Bengal, is dealing with abandonment by its allies in different States. While Congress has determined to forge an alliance with the Left in West Bengal, it’s combating the identical social gathering within the State of Kerala on the identical time. Political opportunism just isn’t new to Indian politics however the obvious ideological contradictions proceed to decrease the grand outdated social gathering’s electoral prospects.