Questions galore on Mamata Didi’s prediction on INDIA bloc prospects

While West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has predicted the INDIA bloc’s “impressive” performance in the ongoing Lok Sabha election, however, she has been avoiding talking about the performance of her party Trinamool Congress, which raises some questions.

The Chief Minister has claimed that the INDIA bloc will win 300 to 315 seats while the BJP will win only 195 seats. Her predictions are also in complete contrast to the opinion polls conducted by different top media houses in association with specialised agencies, which have indicated a majority for the BJP.

Political observers also believe that such predictions by the Chief Minister are a calculative chapter in Trinamool Congress’s perception-oriented campaigning, which the party is heavily banking in the ongoing elections.

The first reason is to spread a counter-narrative in the midst of a massive anti-incumbency wave in West Bengal on issues like corruption and the Sandeshkhali among others, where the BJP is perceived to be the biggest electoral beneficiary. It is also a subtle message that while the BJP may be “ousted” at the national level, there is no point in increasing the BJP seats in West Bengal.

The second reason is to counter the repeated campaigning by the Left parties and the West Bengal unit of Congress that it is Mamata Banerjee alone who is responsible for creating hurdles for the INDIA bloc from taking a concrete shape.

The Congress and CPI(M) leaders are also saying that while Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren decided to strengthen the INDIA bloc by going to jail, on the other hand, Mamata Banerjee saved her near and dear ones which weakened the opposition unity.

A political observer said that the Chief Minister is trying to build up a perspective that she continues to be a well-wisher and an integral part of the opposition bloc. The third reason is to rebuild her broken ties with Congress, especially with the latter’s central leadership, which was spoiled to a great extent after she maintained her stand of going alone in West Bengal despite repeated persuasions by the leadership of the country’s oldest national party to refrain from taking such a hard-core stand.

Even if going by her projections of the INDIA bloc reaching the 315 mark, how relevant the Trinamool Congress will be in the bloc on the national scene?Days after saying that the Trinamool Congress would extend “outside” support to the INDIA bloc if it is elected to power at the Centre, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday gave a subtle hint about Trinamool’s participation in a probable opposition dispensation in Delhi.

Addressing a public meeting at Arambagh in support of the party’s Lok Sabha candidate Mitali Bag, the Chief Minister said, “There is no alliance in West Bengal, barring a confused tie-up between the Congress and the CPI-M. We are with the INDIA bloc at the national level. This time we are confident of forming an INDIA bloc-led government at the Centre for which Trinamool Congress is more than enough.”

On a different note, CM Banerjee also alleged that the BJP is trying to create tension in the state over temples.

“I am asking the state administration to keep a special watch on the temples. After their plot in Sandeshkhali, they might create tension over certain temples in the state. Do not allow that. The administration will have to take the responsibility of diffusing tension anywhere in the state,” the Chief Minister said.

She also criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for advising people to invest in stock markets. “He cannot make such comments when the elections are on. This is a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct. It is up to you whether you want to invest in the stock market. But remember, the BJP is not returning to power this time,” she claimed.