West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav's 40-minute meeting in Kolkata seems to hold kernels of a nascent effort at a front for 2029, where the Congress could be asked to take a backseat.
Akhilesh Yadav, who was visiting Kolkata for a family event, met the Chief Minister, made the intention clear. Banerjee, he declared, is the only leader who "can defeat the BJP in our nation" - a not-so-explicit disparagement of Congress's Rahul Gandhi, who is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Akhilesh Yadav's antipathy for the Congress - dating back to the 2017 election when he lost power in Uttar Pradesh after forming an alliance with Rahul Gandhi and the "UP ka ladka" campaign - is no secret. The recent elections have only strengthened it.
Now, after the state election in neighbouring Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav is in the same boat, despite the Mahagathbandhan with the Congress.
In Bengal, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress is at loggerheads with the Congress. For the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Banerjee had practically pulled out of the INDIA bloc, publicly accusing the Congress of failing to adjust and coordinate in the parliamentary seats of the state.
Disaffected with the Congress, these are the leaders who are now looking an option, sources have indicated.
While none of them have spoken openly about a fresh front, their intentions are clear. The plan, for now, apparently is to have the regional parties consolidate their position in the states - so much so that they can also win big in the parliamentary elections. Depending on that result, a roadmap to move forward will be formulated.
As to why the mantle of leadership could fall on Mamata Banerjee, the primary reason appears to be her rapport with leaders across party lines. These regional leaders had attended the demonstration last year on July 21, along with J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. So was Uddhav Thackeray, who shares an extremely cordial relation with Banerjee. When she travels to Mumbai, the Bengal Chief Minister meets Thackeray at his home.
Akhilesh Yadav is far more at ease with her than he is with Rahul Gandhi. And he made it clear at the meeting, sources said.
Under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, all of the Opposition parties are not coordinating at the national level, he said. Mamata Banerjee is far more approachable to the Opposition leaders, whereas Rahul Gandhi's Congress continues to operate in a zamindari style. Banerjee also has the support of other non-BJP and non-Congress leaders, he said.
Akhilesh Yadav had also applauded Banerjee's continued resistance to the voter list revision in Bengal and other poll-bound states. He also spoke of her opposition to the Centre over funds.
"The 100-day work money has been stopped, and Delhi has not paid Bengal the dues... Didi is in charge of the hundred-day work, Lokkhir Bhandar, and financial arrangements. I'm with Didi. I'll be there whenever you need me. Bengal has been transformed by her. BJP leaders would lose once more because they are unable to recognise that development," he said.
One of the leaders who might join the new front said, "We are not making the Congress untouchable... The INDIA alliance is currently led by the Congress. But our leadership will function in the absence of Congress... The federal front will seek Congress's backing in the future, contingent on the outcome of the election. However, the federal front desires to fight on its own."
The opposition leaders were expected to discuss these issues during a visit to Delhi that Banerjee was planning. But the visit has now turned into a condolence meet for Ajit Pawar, the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister who died last week. Sources said Banerjee now feels that it would be better to rearrange the Delhi trip for later, which will be announced soon.
(The author is Contributing Editor, NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
