TMC (Marxist)

By walking out of the UPA, Mamata limits her options instead of widening them

Raising the pitch of her dissent, Mamata Banerjee has announced her decision to pull out of the UPA government, in which the Trinamool Congress (TMC) participated for three years. Doing so might have consolidated her image as a crusader, but the TMC chief also proves that her DNA of populism triumphs over pragmatism in most crucial decisions. Besides, with her withdrawal of support to UPA 2, Banerjee seems to have reached a place where she limits her political and economic options instead of widening them. What she gains is a political turf in which she is at once crusader and ruler — a unique space in which to manipulate her unpredictable politics.

When she announced her decision on Tuesday, Banerjee made two crucial points. First, her ministers will submit their resignations on Friday, after offering prayers. Second, the Trinamool Congress will not be party to the Left- and BJP- sponsored bandhs on September 20, even though they plan to raise the same issues on which she wants to walk out of the government. The implication is clear — Banerjee does not want to be bracketed with either the Left or the BJP. Also, by referring to Friday prayers, she addressed her biggest electoral constituency — the Muslims, most of whom had moved away from the Congress. In the context of 2014, the TMC certainly cannot afford to have any truck with the BJP and its allies. Neither can it be part of any combination in a possible UPA 3, given the present showdown and deep-rooted differences in policy. In a scenario in which the Trinamool Congress expects to notch up 30-35 MPs from West Bengal in the next Lok Sabha polls, the party's role is likely to be restricted to a third alternative.

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