Churning within Oppn: TMC-Congress rivalry can be a blessing in disguise

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Though the TMC and the Congress might eventually sink their differences, their current battle of one-upmanship might prove to be a blessing in disguise for the rudderless Opposition. File photo

West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee’s assertion that the Congress-led UPA, which ruled the country for a decade, does not exist anymore is testimony to the churning that the Opposition is witnessing at long last. The Opposition’s failure to project a strong, unifying leader has helped the BJP go from strength to strength in the past over seven years. With the TMC looking to expand its footprint nationally and bring together like-minded regional parties, it’s apparent that the Congress can no longer take its place as the main Opposition party for granted.

The turf war between the Congress and the TMC is intensifying. Twelve out of 17 Congress MLAs in Meghalaya defected recently to the Trinamool camp. The TMC had made it clear last week that it was ‘uninterested’ in coordinating with the Congress during Parliament’s Winter Session, which began on Monday. It seems that the Congress does not figure as of now in the Trinamool’s plans to forge a credible anti-BJP front. There is speculation that the TMC is playing into the BJP’s hands with its attempts to outsmart the Congress. However, fierce competition within the Opposition is a healthy development that can rouse the beleaguered Congress to finally get its act together. The rumblings may also lead to the emergence of a national leader who can be projected as a viable alternative to Narendra Modi in the 2024 General Election.

Mamata Banerjee has announced that the TMC will not allow the BJP to grow in the states where the Congress is not fighting. This won’t be an easy task for the West Bengal-based party, but the BJP can afford to be complacent only at its own peril. The reversals in the recent bypolls have sent the saffron party back to the drawing board ahead of next year’s Assembly elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Though the TMC and the Congress might eventually sink their differences, their current battle of one-upmanship might prove to be a blessing in disguise for the rudderless Opposition.