Agenda for Nitish Kumar’s opposition unity event on June 23 in Patna: toppling the BJP
A significant gathering of leading politicians from across India will take place in Patna on June 23 with the main goal of creating a strategy to topple the BJP government in the forthcoming 2024 parliamentary elections. Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, took the initiative and recently met with Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, in Kolkata to address the issue. There is a likelihood that Mamata Banerjee will attend the event.
Speculations regarding Mamata Banerjee’s prospective candidature for the top job if the opposition coalition wins have been sparked by the meeting and the likelihood of a unified front against the BJP. Prior to the 2014 parliamentary elections, the notion of Mamata becoming prime minister was originally floated, with late author and Magsaysay Award recipient Mahasweta Devi lending considerable support.
The BJP’s resounding win under the leadership of Narendra Modi crushed their dreams, but the idea has since returned with each succeeding general election. Notably, prominent TMC politician and actor Shatrughan Sinha recently backed Mamata Banerjee as the sole effective challenger to Modi, and Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen allegedly said that it would be a possibility.
The entire name of Mamata Banerjee’s party, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC), indicates that she has always positioned herself as a leader of the country. Political observers feel that Mamata is a strong contender because to her qualifications. Political analyst from Bengal Tarun Ganguly acknowledged Mamata Banerjee’s potential for becoming prime minister, saying, “I cannot rule out the chance that Mamata Banerjee might become the Prime Minister eventually. There have been less probable candidates in the position previously. Before becoming the nation’s leaders, Deve Gowda or IK Gujral were not national figures. Mamata has a strong case for becoming prime minister since she formed her own political party, which is now in power in a state like West Bengal, and because she was a prominent member of the Congress. She exudes charm and is noticeable.
Sceptics counter that there are a number of other compelling candidates. Political analyst Professor Biswanath Chakraborty notes that at least a dozen well-known leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar of the NCP, and Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, will attend the meeting.
Given the shifts in the political landscape over the previous ten years, supporters think the 2024 elections might be a game-changer. Mamata has a substantially better chance of heading the opposition in the case of a unified front since previous candidates like the late Jayalalitha, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and Mayawati, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, are no longer in the running.
No other person is more qualified to serve as the leader of a potential opposition coalition than Mamata Banerjee, according to Dola Sen, a close associate of the politician and Rajya Sabha MP of the AITMC. With all due respect, can you name any political figure with Mamata Banerjee’s trajectory, firmly requests Sen. Sen notes, “Mamata Banerjee has been an MP seven times, serving as a minister five times (twice as Railways Minister, once as Coal Minister, and once as Youth Minister), highlighting Mamata’s significant experience as a politician for over four decades. She has won three straight elections for Chief Minister. From 186 seats in the Assembly in 2011 to 211 in 2016 and then to 217 in 2021, her party’s representation has grown dramatically.
Sen makes it clear that Mamata Banerjee is a national leader, saying, “Didi is a national leader.” Mamata has been involved in national politics when she first defeated the imposing left-wing leader late Somnath Chatterjee as a candidate for the Congress in the 1984 parliamentary elections. She then became the leader of West Bengal in 2011. AITMC formerly had MLAs in Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, and other states. The party currently has 10 seats in the Meghalaya Assembly.
However, scepticism persists, even among her own party. Although Didi is unquestionably one of the most competent leaders, there is not enough national presence to project this concept, says an AITMC MP who chose to remain nameless.
Sen makes it clear that Mamata Banerjee has no intention of becoming prime minister, even if the viability of the concept depends on the creation of an opposition coalition. She has expressed this often. Toppling the BJP administration is the only goal we have for the country.
