The Bhartiya Janta Party‘s ‘poor show’ in three big states energizes the opposition just months ahead of Lok Sabha 2019 Elections but a Congress resounding victory in the Hindi heartland states could lead to the opposite of the proposed “maha gatbandhan unity” to take on ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee is believed to have taken the lead in trying to gather her counterparts leading regional parties, into a separate front to counter the Congress and to negotiate with it as an alternate and separate front in a run-up to the Lok Sabha 2019 polls.
If reports to be believed those ready to join the camp are Telugu Desam Party Chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana’s ruling party TRS led by K Chandrasekhara Rao, the BJD of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, Uttar Pradesh rivals turned allies Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav. Aam Aadmi Party’s Chief Arvind Kejriwal is also believed in the line those who could join such ‘front’.
Over the past few months, Mamata Banerjee is seen to have held many one-on-one meetings with Chandrasekhara Rao, Naidu and Kejriwal.
Sources familiar with the developments said KCR, Kejriwal, and Naidu have never been very comfortable in the alliance led by Congress.
Though it is very early to say, if there would be any such ‘front’ is likely to damage the Congress’ plans for Uttar Pradesh, where it wants an alliance with the Samajwadi Party and BSP for the 2019 national election. The 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh is crucial to the power of centre.
Sources say, regional leaders, especially Mamata Banerjee, calculate more benefits in going into a coalition government as a separate bloc, with a greater say and even the bargaining power to project a regional leader as a possible Prime Ministerial candidate.