When Mamata, Yechury, and Sonia met: Does Nehru event signal a new political alliance?

The 125th celebration of Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday, titled “Nehru’s world view and his legacy: Democracy inclusion and empowerment”, drew to Delhi an unlikely group of political leaders. And it offered a rare photo opportunity: the sight of Mamata Banerjee and Left Front leaders coming together on a Congress party platform. But the Congress may have once again blown a chance at relevance.

A Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh who attended party’s function at Vigyan Bhawan told Firstpost that “the coming together of Mamata Banerjee, Sitaram Yachuri and some other parties which were not part of the UPA these parliamentary elections at a Congress sponsored function was one big moment in today’s political scenario. But our leadership failed to make it a picture perfect moment for the day."

He claimed that the organisers got it wrong for two reasons.

“Our timing was wrong. It happened around the time when media at large was focussed with broadcast of Modi’s Sydney’s visit.

Second, these leaders were made to sit in the audience and not given any chance to speak. They just came, saw, let media take some snap shots and went. Moreover, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were missing from the Mamata, Sharad Yadav, Yechury [photo> frame. We didn’t really achieve anything substantive," he said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley took the opportunity to take pot shots at likes of Sitaram Yechuri and Sharad Yadav: “Has the guest list (for symposium on Nehruvian legacy) been influenced by the current depleting fortunes of the Congress Party? The symposium is being attended by Congress leaders, some international dignitaries besides a few Lohiates and Communists.”

Jaitley also pointed out the inherent ironies of the Congress party guest list: “Dr Ram Manohar Lohia stood for complete negation of Nehruvian politics.  He rejected Panditji’s politics during his lifetime.  The Left’s anger against Panditji was further fuelled by the invocation of Article 356 to dislodge the first ever democratically elected Communist Government led by Shri E.M.S. Namboodripad in Kerala.  The symposium is being attended by some who rejected Nehruvian politics during Panditji’s lifetime and others whom Panditji may have ideologically disinherited.”

Mamata’s attendance attracted special attention, and BJP leaders view her dash to Delhi as a response to their party’s rising profile in West Bengal

BJP’s national secretary and in-charge for West Bengal Sidharth Nath Singh said “Mamata Banerjee is rattled by Narendra Modi’s popularity and BJP’s burgeoning graph in her state. She recently fought most bitter battle, electoral and otherwise against CPM in the state. She then had a bitter parting of ways with the Congress. And, now they all have come together. That speaks volume of the kind of panic that has set in their ranks.”

Certainly, BJP is doing its best to panic Mamata. The latest is a proposal to hold a huge public rally led by Amit Shah at Esplanade in the heart of Kolkata on November 30. The venue has been used by Mamata in the past to show her strength of support. Such is the confidence of the BJP that  it hopes to bring a three-lakh strong crowd to attend a rally which will not feature Narendra Modi.

A failure to attract large crowd will, of course, invite ridicule from Trinamul, Left and Congress. The BJP is showing an unusual appetite for risk in its eagerness to take the battle to next level.

In many ways, the coming together in Delhi reflects the political dynamics in Bengal. An overt or covert understanding between Congress, Trinamul, and Left can potentially contain BJP’s rising graph in West Bengal. This should have made BJP leaders a worried lot. But they are taking this in stride for now.

“Since Left and Congress have now joined hands with Trinamul, the BJP is the only force that could fight tyranny of Mamata Banerjee. All these who feel oppressed and cheated by her regime would support BJP in this long drawn political battle. Remember, in West Bengal there is no communal tension, only jihadi tension looms large,” WB BJP leader Singh said.

The anti-BJP alliance didn’t gain much traction in Delhi. It remains to be seen whether it fares better in the state.