Hyderabad: The political drama unravelling in Karnataka is giving signals that the proposed new front by TRS Chief and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao might not work at the national level, and the remarks by former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) chief H.D. Deve Gowda testifies to the challenges involved. While KCR was looking forward to Gowda joining the former’s proposed anti-BJP and anti-Congress front, Gowda is of the view that an anti-BJP front will not work without the Congress. “The help of the Congress is required in some manner.
“If the Congress does not have required seats to form a government in the next elections, the support of Congress can strengthen the anti-BJP front,” the former PM said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also echoed the same view. The political situation in the country at present has come to a point where regional parties have to support the BJP or the Congress at the national level, she said. In the country almost all regional parties have taken a stand, which is either pro-BJP or pro-Congress, and against this background forming a new front against the BJP and the Congress as proposed by KCR is not possible.
Ms Banerjee recently said that forming a new front against the BJP would not be possible without an alliance with the Congress, but she also emphasised that the Congress’ role in the alliance should be as a partner and not a leader. Whether or not the Congress is in power at the Centre and the states, the party has a vote bank and regional parties could benefit from its support in some states. The political situation in other states is different from what it is in Telangana. In West Bengal, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the Trinamul, JD(S) and DMK respectively need the Congress support to fight the BJP, whereas in Telangana the Congress is the TRS’ main political rival.
