Mamata Banerjee’s party Trinamool Congress decided on Thursday to abstain from voting in the vice presidential election, in which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate is Jagdeep Dhankhar, the governor of West Bengal. The polls will be held on August 6, with Congress veteran Margaret Alva the challenger.
When Mamata did not send her representative for an opposition meeting to pick the VP candidate, there was a clear indication that the TMC could go on a different path on the matter. Opposition parties met twice, Margaret Alva filed her nomination, but there were no comments from Mamata and neither did anyone from her party attend the event.
Senior Trinamool leaders only said earlier that Mamata Banerjee had called a meeting on July 21 where she would discuss the issue and declare the party’s stand.
So why has the TMC decided to abstain?
Party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said during a press briefing at the West Bengal chief minister’s residence, “Our consent was not taken before nominating the VP candidate. Mamata Banerjee, in consultation with all MPs (each of them spoke on the matter), has decided that the TMC will not support NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar. 85 per cent of MPs who attended today’s meeting said that the way the opposition decided its candidate without consulting the TMC, we will abstain from voting for the VP candidate. We were not consulted.”
Sources said Mamata was very keen on building up opposition unity keeping in view the presidential election but the Congress was reluctant. So the TMC wanted to show that it was not inconsistent like the Congress, they added.
They added that Mamata asked every party MP what the stand should be. She and the lawmakers pointed out how the TMC was informed only 15 minutes before the meeting was called. Moreover, towards the end of the presidential poll meeting, Sharad Pawar did not allow her to speak, they said. The TMC leaders said that their party can’t be taken for granted and the feeling was that opposition unity had somehow only become the responsibility of Trinamool.
The TMC did not send a representative to the opposition meeting for the VP election also because the Bengal governor becoming the Vice President is technically a matter of pride.
The TMC wants to establish its own identity as a credible challenger to the BJP and wants to take the Congress along but the grand old party’s derelict state is demoralising for the entire opposition, said Trinamool insiders.
Mamata Banerjee has set her target for Delhi and for that she needs a coordinated opposition and, TMC sources say, she will work towards that.
“Mamata has become a dalal (broker) of the BJP. By abstaining from voting, TMC is helping Dhankar as candidate? This pact has taken place in Darjeeling where on one side Himanta Biswa Sarma was present (who left flood and came to meet didi), Mamata was there on the another side and Dhankar was in between. So you can understand,” Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.
Trinamool’s decision to abstain has already brought in criticism from the Left and Congress. “Everything was decided in the Darjeeling meeting so this is all drama,” said a CPI(M) leader.
Bengal’s ruling party though feels this is the best move, said insiders.
Analysts also say that by abstaining, the TMC has again tried to show that it is an important opposition entity and will not play along if not given due respect.
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