West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s defence of Mamata Bannerjee, over the issue of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary event, did come as a bit of a surprise for many who are aware that he is a known Mamata Bannerjee baiter. But it bears political significance and also gives a glimpse into what could be the Congress plan for West Bengal.
Rahul Gandhi did two tours of Tamil Nadu in a short span and the reason is that he wants to send a message to the DMK, that an alliance with them will not be on a begging bowl basis. The Congress wants to contest in over 40 seats, given that the state gave the largest number of MPs to the party during the Lok Sabha polls. The huge crowds that greeted Rahul Gandhi is also the Congress’s way of showing to the DMK that it has a presence in the state and that its belief that Congress would be a liability is unfounded.
Also read: PM in Attendance, Mamata Refuses to Speak at Netaji’s Birth Anniversary Event After Slogans Raised Against Her
The next tour of Rahul Gandhi is expected soon in Bengal, and here’s the plan— he is most likely to hit the areas where the BJP is believed to be in the stronghold or from where it has won in the Lok Sabha polls. Even if parts of TMC stronghold are chosen as part of his tour, it is unlikely that he will attack the TMC aggressively.
The logic is simple. The Congress may have formed an alliance with the Left to take on Mamata, but it also knows a defeated TMC would be a huge boost for the BJP’s plans for an all India presence. Mamata Bannerjee is one of the strongest netas who has taken on the BJP and the prime minister. Her defeat would mean the Opposition’s fight against the BJP gets weaker.
Also read: Mamata from ‘Demoness’ Culture, Has Faulty DNA: BJP MLA’s Slur on CM’s Refusal to Speak at Netaji Event
But the Congress is in a dilemma. One, the TMC has weaned away about 20 MLAs of the Congress and this is unacceptable to the cadre. This was also one of the reasons why Chowdhury pushed for an alliance with the Left. To teach a lesson to the TMC.
Also as a national party that wants to fight the rising clout of regional players, Congress cannot be seen as not putting up a fight. But there is no denying that both the TMC and the Congress realise that fighting each other would only end up strengthening the BJP. Entry of players like Owaisi has only made things tougher for the TMC. He is likely to cut into the minority votes of Mamata which have till now been solidly behind her. He could also threaten Chowdhury’s minority vote bank in Murshidabad, which is his stronghold. Hence the need to “ stick together” without making it look so. Just recently Sougato Roy of the TMC had thrown a googly at the Congress by asking it to join hands to keep the BJP away. Chowdhury on behalf of his party had rejected it, instead asking it to merge with the Congress.
But behind this, what seemed like an off-the-cuff remark, is a plan and idea brewing. That BJP is the bigger enemy.
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