“We are keeping our doors open for any form of alliance.” That’s precisely what tickles the political bone ahead of the elections. Shifting allegiance, switching parties and last-minute rebels have always managed to create an interesting plot in India post elections. 2014 general elections are also following the legacy. With national parties unlikely to emerge as the winner independently, and several regional parties emerging stronger in their bastions, the former has to budge a little and plead for support.
The leftists would shrug off any offer from rightists; the rightists won’t break breads with the Congress, and the regional players are so complacent in their own states that the thought of partnering with a national player at the centre seems distant.
CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat has been rooting against BJP’s PM candidate, and yet he has ruled out any possibility of post-poll alliance with the Congress to prevent BJP from coming to power. It’s a matter of ideology after all. In the south, the Left front parties seem to have discovered a bonhomie and a common ground – anti BJP and anti-Congress plank.
However, CPI-M has gone on record to declare that the party is open to a post-poll alliance with AIADMK, provided the latter maintains its ‘non-Congress’ and ‘non-BJP’ stand, which is shared by them. That certainly creates a space for Left Front’s possible alliance with Orissa’s BJD and Bihar’s JDU. Interestingly, they are exactly the same parties that Congress has been looking to rope in as allies. The ruling party at the center is desperate to avoid two outcomes: a Hung House and a BJP-led NDA government grabbing the centre stage.
But how do you do that? Form a ‘secular’ alliance of parties, which are opposed to BJP’s ideology and would not like to see NaMo as the next PM. In Uttar Pradesh, can Congress find a friend in BSP supremo Mayawati? Recently, she has been vocal about the disastrous consequences that might befall on the country under NaMo’s leadership. Like a true stumbling block she asserted the other day, ““We will put our entire strength to prevent Narendra Modi from becoming the Prime Minister.” That kindles some hope for Congress. The party is somewhat sure of getting support from the Samajwadi Party as there’s a one-in-a-million possibility of the party offending its Muslim friends by shaking hands with Modi.
If speculations have an ounce of truth in them, BJP has struck the right chord with Trinamool Congress. The party seems to have brokered a deal with Mamata Banerjee wherein TMC would extend outside support and in return get a ‘generous financial package’ to ease the state’s debt burden. The party has got a major boost in Andhra Pradesh today following the official pre-poll alliance with Telugu Desam Party. If BJP finds solace in Andhra, there’s a gift awaiting Congress in Tamil Nadu. DMK Chief Karunanidhi has manifested his forgiving nature and decided to support Congress if it seeks help following the elections. This benevolence is triggered to meet the ultimate objective of establishing a secular government.
Having said all this, what will shape the post-poll scenario is still unpredictable to a large extent. Till then, we have to be on tenterhooks.
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