Nothing reveals the contradictions within the INDI Alliance than West Bengal Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s assertion at an election rally that ‘it is better to vote for BJP than the TMC’. It is the same in almost all states where different components of the alliance are at loggerheads with each other and claim to be in accord at the national level. Be it Delhi or UP, the smiles before the public only disguise the bitterness behind the scenes. This is why there is a constant flow of party leaders, particularly those of the Congress, to the BJP. It is difficult to reconcile the interests, even if ideologies have been engineered to conform.
It is in this context that voters need to carefully examine the claim that there will be a coalition government formed successfully by the parties after the elections. It is true that power is a great unifier, but can it be shared when they are at each other’s throats in the states? Historically, coalitions have resulted only when there has been strong anti-incumbency and the electorate has carried the parties to power. Mostly, they have not lasted very long as leaders have maneuvered to get the top job by toppling the incumbent.
Nobody knows this better than the opposition politicians themselves. It needs to be asked, therefore, what is the real game? It is not so much about bringing down Modi. It has to do with consolidating power in their strongholds, even if it means becoming just the primary challenger for future contests. In Uttarakhand, for instance, the Congress will still be in the game, even if it loses as it has in the past couple of LS contests. However, in UP, it is reduced to a miserable third or fourth in the constituencies, which threatens its very existence in a state that sends the most MPs to Parliament. Will the SP and BSP allow it to climb on their backs to become the nation’s dominant party again? Very unlikely; which is why all the bonhomie witnessed between an Akhilesh and a Rahul is nothing short of a joke. And should the results pan out as generally expected, the knives will be truly out and it will be each party for itself. If they truly wish to make an impact as an alliance, they should do so from the opposition benches in coordinated fashion. That has been rare in the past and seems unlikely in the future. That suggests the alternative is yet to be found.
