Mamata has ‘guessed’ the voter sentiment in its right perspective

Midway through the general elections, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has suddenly said something that has thrown up more questions than can be answered. Her “We will lead the I.N.D.I.A alliance, albeit from outside, after ensuring that an I.N.D.I.A government is formed,”

remark has hinted at the possibility of newer political equations, especially by the anti-BJP forces. Seeing at the larger picture, it was a well thought out observation given that unlike in the earlier elections, this time around, there is neither a pro-Modi wave nor any strong anti-incumbency wave. After the recent Assembly poll outcomes and the Rama Mandir at Ayodhya, the saffron brigade was more than certain of sweeping the polls. However, it failed to create any Hindutva wave. In the absence of any major national issues, the star campaigners from the Mo-Shah’s party are compelled to rely on local and state-level issues, while addressing meetings in most states. Ironically, neither the politicians nor the electorate are talking about election manifesto. ‘Sab ke saath, sab ke Vikash’ might have been Modi’s favourite poll slogan in the past, but this time no one is getting to hear this rhetoric. The unemployment rate is high, so is the rate of joblessness and inflation. The middleclass is suffering.

Ironically, the opposition parties do not have much to say about themselves either. While the scorching heat is certainly one of the big reasons for the low voter turnout so far, there must be other bigger reasons why excitement and enthusiasm for the greatest celebration of democracy is seemingly missing. There are signs of jitters in the capital market, which is a notable factor as it helps gauge people’s mood and sentiment. The volatility index in the stock market is on the rise, reflecting an unfavourable situation and discomforts for the incumbent government. “Aab ki baar 400 paar” seems to be a distant dream for the party in power. The RSS, in its internal survey, also hinted that BJP’s applecart may get upset and it has to be rest content with around 220 seats. The efforts to keep this survey under the wraps were of no avail. And there has been no denial or rejoinder to such a survey report, ostensibly leaked by a Karnataka Congress leader. Impartial analysts are not finding place where the BJP or NDA would increase its tally compared to the last polls, considerably.

On the other side, there are no clear signs that the voters would overwhelmingly vote for the opposition parties. A silence of the electorate of this nature is always perceived to be very dangerous and very powerful. There is little wonder, therefore, that a seasoned and astute politician like Mamata Banerjee would start hinting at what she thinks to be a possible post-poll scenario. Although she had given the name, she is officially not part of the I.N.D.I.A and she she must have been confronting questions like - what is the point of voting for TMC, which is neither part of the INDIA nor the NDA, in a general election. Her move is possibly aimed at clearing the air ahead of the crucial phases of polling that are up ahead.