A United Front To Take On The BJP?
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-06-21 15:23:38
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
Sharad Pawar met election strategist Prashant Kishore in Mumbai on June 11. It set off a buzz in political circles that something was cooking. It was believed then that Pawar was trying to bring the opposition together to take on the Narendra Modi and the BJP in 2024. Pawar met Kishor again in Delhi today and later Pawar, along with Yashwant Sinha of Rashtra Manch who had joined the Trinamool Congress in March this year, sent out invites to a cross section of opposition leaders for a meeting tomorrow.
It is now clear that Pawar is trying to form a front of opposition parties on the advice of Prashant Kishor. Fresh from his electrifying performance in helping the Trinamool Congress blunt the BJP's all-out attack in West Bengal, Kishor must have impressed upon Pawar that the BJP has to be beaten in individual states by different strategies. Pawar is the canniest politician in India and he must have understood what Kishor was trying to say. The result is that a meeting of opposition leaders is now on to take it forward. It was disclosed by NCP leader Nawab Malik that some 'eminent persons' from different fields have also been invited to give their inputs.
Since this will be the first such meeting, not much can be expected from it. Further, one thinks that in this meeting, none of the top shots of the various national and regional parties will attend. They will send representatives. Only when things start moving forward in real earnest will the top honchos meet. Yet, for the opposition it is very important to come together on a common platform and decide on a joint strategy to take on the BJP. It is rumoured that the effort will start from the state elections in UP next year and will be taken forward depending on the performance.
But for the effort to succeed, it needs the full support of the Congress. Whether it is liked or not, despite its continuous slide in the last 7 years, the Congress still remains the only party after the BJP to have an all-India infrastructure, is the ruling party in three states and is an alliance partner in another state. It is the only all-India alternative to the BJP. Hence, it is absolutely essential to have it on board.
It is obvious that Sharad Pawar will use his influence with Sonia Gandhi to convince her to come on board. That is not the problem. The problem is that the Congress will insist that Rahul Gandhi be made the joint opposition candidate for the Prime Minister's post. The problems will start there. It is unlikely that some regional parties will accept him. If Pawar can manage to force a consensus on the common face of the front to take on Modi, he can have a front in place and then the BJP will have a fight on its hands.
