Countering BJP: Whither the opposition

Will the ragtag of regional political parties be able to come together? Can the left parties succeed in building an anti-BJP national alternative with regional satraps? Can the left parties trust regional parties like TRS, TMC or AIADMK? This is the issue that is now being discussed in political circles following the meeting of CPM and CPI leaders with Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday.

Though the TRS has been saying that they would force Centre to buy the entire stock of paddy and get clearances for irrigation projects, except joining the din in the Lok Sabha and displaying placards, there was nothing much the party could do to demonstrate its power in Lok Sabha.

Clearance of detailed project reports of six irrigation projects is still pending with the Centre which is unlikely to take any action at least till March as the BJP is now busy with Assembly elections in UP and four other States. On top of it, the budget session of Lok Sabha will also begin from

February 1.

This being the situation, the question is can KCR be a reliable and determined partner in taking on the BJP? Can they adjust with Mamata Didi of TMC? What about Congress which continues to be frail old party in the national politics? A day after the meeting of CPM leaders with KCR, Yechury doubted the attitude of KCR in his fight against BJP. "There are flaws in KCR's fight against BJP. KCR is fighting against BJP on a few issues. We are opposed to his soft corner for BJP," he stated.

We have seen that whenever elections come, the left parties do not hesitate to join hands with any party knowing fully well that such alliances may not last long. This time too since many parties like the left, the Congress, the TMC want to get rid of the BJP brand of politics, the left is showing some interest in meeting opposition leaders and holding talks with them. They feel that if they can convince people that it is BJP which had made the life of common man miserable during its last two terms and the inflation and price hike has reached a new high, they can defeat the BJP. Fine, but that can be done provided there is a more powerful alternative in the country.

As of now the general impression among the people is that there is no real face of opposition that the people can look to. The greater the number of regional parties in any alliance the more difficult it would be to have absolute control over them and soon after coming to power, they would start pulling in different directions. All these parties had formed alliances in the past many times and the country had seen their fate. Hence the big question is the utility of a so-called third front.

The BJP had taken certain decisions like GST, demonetisation, privatisation of profit-making PSUs and the country has seen a steep increase in the prices of essential commodities including petrol, diesel and LPG. There is discontentment among people. The iron is hot but there is no political blacksmith towards whom the people can look at. Neither the left nor other regional parties can create confidence among the people and say, 'Mein Hun Na' (I am there to set right things).

When will the opposition parties end their discussions? When will the front be formed and will they go amidst people and throw a challenge to the saffron party? The opposition parties are only hoping that the BJP would suffer a serious damage in the five States that would be going to polls soon.