Regional parties problem for BJP, Congress

The “fight for space” by regional parties is creating problems for the ruling BJP as well as the main Opposition Congress in their battle to become a super-political force in the country.

While the AAP has already concentrated on the coming Punjab battle, the Janata Dal (U)’s attempts to make inroads in Uttar Pradesh with the help of the Rashtriya Lok Dal is a clear message that they are looking for a role at the national level. The strategies of the Dravidian parties, the Trinamul Congress and the BJD will become clearer after the Assembly polls in four states and one Union Territory next month.

After the success in ending the Congress’ power through its “Congress-mukt Bharat (Congress-free India)” campaign, the BJP is facing a tough challenge from the regional parties which have not only checked the saffron party’s march to become a “super-political force” in Bihar and Delhi but have made it a junior player in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

While the BJP remained a junior ally of the SAD in Punjab, it is challenged by the Samajwadi Party and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh, going to polls within a year.

And in Maharashtra ally Shiv Sena has been playing the role of Opposition inside and outside the government at a time when leaders of Opposition parties like the Congress and the NCP, are facing inquiries in various scams.

JD(U) leader and chief minister Nitish Kumar does not want to confine himself to Bihar. Reports of a possible merger of the JD(U) and the Ajit Singh-led RLD could not only influence caste equations in the Uttar Pradesh polls, but attract the Indian National Lok Dal in Haryana.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has never been interested in remaining in Delhi despite getting a historic mandate in favour of his party.

He had fought the Lok Sabha election against Mr Narendra Modi in Varanasi and will try to make inroads in Chhattisgarh, his home state Haryana, and in Rajasthan if his party wins the Punjab polls, sources said.

And if Maharashtra is bifurcated under RSS pressure, then it would weaken both the BJP and the Congress outside Vidarbha while smaller parties and fronts could become “kingmakers”, they predicted.