West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee wary of regional players

Trinamul boss and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is looking at the possible formation of a Federal Front along with JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar, RJD’s Lalu Prasad Yadav, Biju Janata Dal chief and Orissa CM Naveen Patnaik and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. She is said to be wary of other key regional players like the Samajwadi Party, led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, and the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party.

She plans to soon meet Mr Kumar, Mr Patnaik, Mr Lalu Yadav and Mr Kejriwal to prepare the ground for the formation of the front. The presence of NCP leader farooq Abdullah at Friday’s swearing-in ceremony signalled that he too was willing to throw his weight behind Ms Banerjee. Talking about the Federal Front, Dr Abdullah said: “There are many leaders who can head such a front. Mamataji is one of them.”

Ms Banerjee, though, has always played down the possibility of her leading such a front. When RJD chief Lalu Yadav reportedly asked “Can you become the first Prime Minister from Bengal ” she is said to have quipped: “You people become!”

Mr Lalu Yadav said at the ceremony that all “like-minded secular forces” must join hands to oust the BJP and Sangh Parivar from the Centre. “If we do not wake up now, the BJP and Sangh Parivar will divide the nation,” he said.

As the RJD chief was attacking the BJP and Sangh Parivar, finance minister Arun Jaitley passed by while leaving after the ceremony.

When asked if he had discussed the Federal Front issue with Ms Banerjee, Mr Yadav said this was “not the time... Today is a time for celebration”.

Speaking after the ceremony, Ms Banerjee said that a Federal Front was a “good idea”, and added: “This will strengthen ties between states and the Centre.”

In the Rajya Sabha, the TMC has 12 members, Samajwadi Party has 18, BJD eight, RJD three and JD(U) nine MPs. All these parties are favourably inclined towards the GST Bill.

These pro-federalism parties have become more powerful after the Congress’ rapid decline. If the Congress fails to score big in the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh elections, it will have no option but to play second fiddle to the regional players. After its experiment with the Left in West Bengal failed, the Congress has little option but to try and mend fences with Ms Banerjee and try to latch on to her bandwagon for the 2019 general election.