So far all talk of opp unity is just that...a talk

While Congress is displaying a decidedly superior attitude, regional satraps are not ready to hand it the driving seat

Ever since Narendra Modi took up the mantle in 2014, there have been some perennial issues which never fade out from the headlines. The entire opposition (or most of it) coming together to challenge the hegemony of Modi and BJP is one of them. So far they have failed to end or even substantially dent his victory run at the centre though the party did suffer reverses in some important state elections. In fact if the three state elections of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in 2018 are any indication, it shows that state reverses can actually solidify Modi's votes during general elections as it happened in 2019.

Once again statements about opposition unity have made a comeback in the headlines. This was expected as 2023 is essentially an election year. Nine states are scheduled to go to polls with the possibility of a tenth. Of the ninth, Tripura has already voted while Nagaland and Meghalaya will vote in exactly a week's time.

2023 is also the year when permutations and combinations for the general elections in early 2024 will have to be stitched up. That is why many Satraps are busy with yatras to engage with the grassroots as well as give a message to their allies about their popularity.

One such leader, Nitish Kumar, who parted with the BJP to revive the Mahagathbandhan with RJD, has just completed his Samadhan Yatra. What was the 'samasya' to which he was seeking 'samadhan' remains unclear. But post Yatra, Nitish hinted that the BJP could be brought down to a mere 100 seats if the opposition came together and that he was waiting for the Congress to take the initiative.

The Congress retorted saying they knew their role in national politics and they had maintained a consistent stand against the BJP unlike some regional parties who indirectly helped the BJP with their politics. This was obviously a sly on Nitish who has been hopping camps between the BJP and RJD.

These two statements, in a nutshell, tell us what ails the opposition ranks most. The anti-Modi parties know that there isn't much of an option without the Congress. An opposition alliance, sans Congress, would pack up even before the elections as the scale and area of the challenge would be limited. At the same time, they also mistrust the Congress and are irritated or disappointed at the Congress' lack of initiative.

But that is not all. The Congress, too, has maintained a haughty and superior attitude towards the regional players though its current political status does not match up to the sense of superiority anymore.

To add to this is the question of who leads or heads the conglomerate. The Congress would be the obvious answer as it is the only pan-India party. But with its support diminished and almost absent in many states, the regional powers are naturally reluctant to give it the lead position.

Then again is the yes and no stance adopted by the likes of Mamata Bannerjee, KCR and the CPM who would like to give a united challenge to Modi at the centre but do not want to be seen becoming one with the Congress in their state politics.

While such convoluted positions and so many contradictions can make for interesting analyses for political pundits, the voters do not want to spend their time second guessing which party will go which way today, tomorrow or day after. Voters want a clear, black and white picture and not shades of grey which leave the question hanging as to who stands where.

Therefore, the sooner the opposition decides its act the better picture it will bring. But considering the contradictions listed above, is that even a possibility?

(Smita Mishra writes on politics and current affairs)

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