A Tackle a Day Keeps the Congress Away? Opposition May Be United, But Not Against BJP

At 10 am, 16 opposition parties were huddled in a meeting at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge”s parliament office.

Even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is usually not seen with the Congress, was present. But just outside, around the same time, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders protested at the Gandhi statue.

The topic was common.

While the opposition parties under Kharge decided to keep the pressure on demanding discussion on the Adani issue and constitution of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), the TMC was protesting against the public money invested in LIC and SBI “being looted by central government”. The TMC finds an Adani link to it. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), too, was seen protesting the misuse of investigative agencies.

There seems to be no link within the opposition which binds them. This brings cheer to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

MISTRUST FACTOR

Underlying the concept of opposition unity is the basic mistrust. The Congress calls the TMC, BRS and AAP “B team of the BJP”. They, in turn, accuse the Congress of being a spoilsport.

For example, when K Kavitha was at Jantar Mantar demanding reservation for women, a day ahead of her Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioning, the Congress was conspicuous by its absence. The BRS and AAP have accused the Congress of not being with them when the ED stalked them. The Congress has accused these parties of helping the BJP during polls to defeat the Congress.

Like during the Meghalaya polls, Rahul Gandhi called TMC “scamster” and said they were making money to help the BJP. In this background, it comes as no surprise that none of them can come together under one umbrella.

OPPN DREAM

Sources say the TMC wants to make another push for unity in opposition ranks, but wants to stay away from the Congress. The March 17 meeting between TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav is unlikely to be just a courtesy call. Banerjee is soon expected to come to Delhi to meet non-Congress non-BJP Chief Ministers.

Down south, BRS’s KCR has been open about how he wants unity minus the Congress. While the Congress battles to find a space in Telengana, it blames KCR for targeting it while secretly helping the BJP.

The AAP recently did a Tiranga Yatra in Jaipur, clearly taking advantage of the hungama over the Pulwama martyrs’ issue and the divide within the Congress on it. The Congress has always accused the AAP of being a “vote katua” for turning up in those state polls where there is a one-on-one fight between the Congress and BJP.

As long as the AAP, BRS and TMC are united to keep the Congress away, the opposition unity is a dream which may not come true, bringing a smile to the BJP.

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