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Mamata Banerjee has increased contact with the CPI(M) on the SIR issue.
Longtime rivals in West Bengal politics, the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) have begun dialogue on the issue of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby had written a letter to the leaders of opposition parties, appealing for a joint strategy. After this, Mamata Banerjee contacted him and there was a conversation between the two leaders over the phone.
According to reports, the functioning of the Election Commission, SIR and the future strategy of the opposition parties were discussed in the talks. Baby later described it as an issue-based contact for now and said it was premature to conclude any major political alliance in the future.
The development is significant as the TMC and the CPI(M) have been long-standing political rivals in West Bengal. Although both parties are part of the India bloc at the national level, there has been a fierce competition between the two in state politics.
M A Baby wrote a letter to opposition leaders.
CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby wrote to leaders of the India bloc and other non-BJP parties on September 23, urging them to convene a meeting to discuss recent developments related to the Election Commission. In the letter, he had expressed the need for discussion among the opposition parties regarding SIR and the election process.
Baby had told the opposition parties that in the current situation, a strategy should be considered together. This contact from the Left was not limited to the India bloc only and efforts were made to reach out to some other non-NDA parties as well.
After this initiative, Mamata Banerjee talked to Baby. According to reports, both the leaders discussed the possibilities of bringing together opposition parties and coordinating on issues related to the Election Commission.
There’s a longstanding political rift between Mamata Banerjee and the CPI(M).
In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee and the CPI(M) have been at odds with each other in politics. After a long period of Left Front rule in the state, the rise of TMC changed the political equation of Bengal and a direct political contest remained between the two parties.
In such a situation, the talks between the two sides on an issue like SIR are being seen as a politically important development. However, the information revealed so far is mainly limited to discussions on a common issue related to the Election Commission and the electoral process.
CPI(M) leader M.A. Baby has clarified that the Left’s engagement with the TMC is currently issue-based; Therefore, it would be premature to see this as a new permanent political alliance.
Mamata Banerjee has reached out to the Left along with talks with the Congress.
Mamata Banerjee hasn’t just reached out to the CPI(M) on the issue of SIR and the Election Commission. According to reports, he also spoke to Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and talked about calling a meeting of India bloc soon.
Mamata has also publicly said that opposition parties should sit together on this issue and decide the future strategy. It has come to light that the proposed meeting will be held on 30th September at the Constitution Club in Delhi.
This indicates that at present different opposition parties are looking for a common platform on their concerns regarding the Election Commission and SIR. However, different parties have their own political priorities and different equations exist at the state level.
Opposition parties have different objections to the SIR.
The CPI(M), CPI, and CPI(ML)-Liberation have demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a halt to the process. Congress has also raised questions about the functioning of the Election Commission and Kumar.
This coordination among opposition parties has increased at a time when reports have emerged of differing opinions within the Election Commission regarding some decisions related to SIR. The Election Commission has said that different opinions and comments are a normal part of the institutional decision-making process and its orders have been issued as per the legal process.
Therefore, it is important to look at the allegations being made by the opposition and the stand of the Election Commission separately. The next phase of the current controversy will be related to the strategy to be presented in Parliament and the proposed opposition meeting.
Opposition eyes set on September 30th meeting
A proposed meeting of opposition parties is expected to be held in Delhi on September 30th. This meeting is expected to discuss future strategies regarding the Election Commission, the Supreme Court, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
According to reports, opposition parties are also preparing for another removal notice. It is likely to be introduced in both houses of Parliament after legal review.
In such a situation, the conversation between Mamata Banerjee and M A Baby is being seen as a part of a broader effort at opposition coordination. However, there has been no formal announcement yet on whether this contact will take any permanent political form or not.
A new attempt at opposition unity amid the BJP’s fight
Mamata Banerjee’s dialogue with the CPI(M) leadership also raises the question of opposition coordination at the national level, beyond Bengal politics. At present, the contact between the two parties is said to be limited to issues like Election Commission and SIR.
In the proposed meeting of INDIA bloc, leaders of different parties can discuss their respective concerns and strategies. If the talks on this issue progress between TMC, Congress and Left, the nature of the joint campaign of the opposition may also become clear.
At present, it is clear that the conversation between Mamata Banerjee and M A Baby has brought two old political rivals of Bengal on a platform to discuss a particular issue. But further meetings and official decisions will have to be awaited before this can be considered a broad political alliance.
